Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to implement section 113 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 relating to the power for local authorities to take into account a developer's previous performance when determining planning applications.

Lee Rowley: Section 113 of the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2013 gives local planning authorities the power to decline to consider planning applications from developers who have not completed or have been to slow completing earlier residential development in their area. It is an important part of the wider package of reforms in the Act to support the faster build out of residential development. We will be consulting on the detailed implementation of this package of reforms in due course.

Local Plans: St Albans

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January to Question 7677 on Local Plans: St Albans, what (a) correspondence and (b) meetings his Department has had with St Albans District Council on its timetable for completing a local plan in the 12 months to 19 December 2023.

Lee Rowley: Preparing and maintaining a Local Development Scheme is a statutory requirement under s.15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Departmental officials monitor and engage with Local Planning Authorities across England, which included meeting with officers at St Albans to discuss plan making in March and September 2023.

Unadopted Roads: East Riding

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of households in the East Riding of Yorkshire that are located on estate roads that have not been adopted by their local authority as of 1 January 2024.

Lee Rowley: The requested information is not held by the department.

Multiple Occupation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on their powers to control the conversion of families homes into houses in multiple occupation.

Lee Rowley: Planning permission is always required for the material change of use to a large House in Multiple Occupation for more than six people.Separately a licence is required for a House in Multiple Occupation in which five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities. Local areas can also introduce additional licensing schemes which required Houses in Multiple Occupation with three or more people from two or more households to be licensed. Guidance is provided here.

Housing: Regional Planning and Development

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of 13 December 2022 of the Minister of State, Department or Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on Consideration of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, Official Report column 957, how the revised National Planning Policy Framework takes into account areas that have over-delivered and taken significant housing when calculating future housing figures.

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, how his Department defines exceptional circumstance in relation to housebuilding numbers.

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, whether high historic housebuilding numbers might be considered to be an exceptional circumstance.

Dame Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, whether the definition of exceptional circumstance has been influenced by case law.

Lee Rowley: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out an expectation that the standard method will be used by local authorities to assess local housing needs, while recognising there may be exceptional circumstances that justify the use of an alternative approach.The Framework does not set out an exhaustive list of what may or may not constitute an exceptional circumstance, but it does explain that this can include issues relating to the particular demographic characteristics of an area. It is for the local authority to determine if there are exceptional circumstances, and to then justify the use of an alternative method when bringing its plan forward for examination.

Local Plans: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral statement by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Building Safety of 19 December 2023 on Long-term Plan for Housing, what recent progress has been made on York's local plan.

Lee Rowley: The York local plan remains at examination. This has delayed the timetable for completing the Inspectors’ report.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of building safety remediation costs on housing associations’ ability to deliver new social housing.

Lee Rowley: As set out previously, Government recognises that building safety remediation represents a significant cost for some housing associations. The Building Safety Act provided new measures to allow Registered Providers (RPs) to pursue those who were responsible for defective work.The Government has committed £400 million to support RPs to remove and replace unsafe ACM cladding on buildings over 18 metres. RPs are also able to access the £4.5 billion Building Safety Fund (BSF) and the new Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) for remediating unsafe cladding on buildings over 11 metres in relation to costs that would otherwise have been attributable to their leaseholders.RPs can apply for additional BSF or CSS funding where their financial viability is jeopardised. We also expect some RPs to benefit from the remediation pledges made by housebuilders.

Disinformation

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2023 to Question 1081 on Asylum: Rwanda, whether his Department has plans to conduct a review into the approach to disinformation within the UK's democratic procedures.

Simon Hoare: Government policy on countering mis and disinformation is a matter for the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. However, the Government as a whole is of course committed to protecting our democratic processes from the risks posed by disinformation.

Local Government: Debt Collection

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2023 to Question 6351 on Local Government: Debt Collection, if he will take steps to update his Department's best practice guidance on council tax collection and adopt the Citizens’ Advice Bureau’s charter on ethical debt collection.

Simon Hoare: The Department keeps the guidance on council tax collection under review in light of developments in debt collection practice. The collection of council tax is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is open to them to adopt alternative approaches.

Council Tax: Referendums

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the level above which local authorities can raise the social care precept before triggering a local referendum.

Simon Hoare: Decisions on council tax levels are for local authorities although the Government sets referendum principles each year to protect residents from excessive increases. The Department is currently consulting on the principles for 2024-25. Following consideration of responses, the principles will be subject to the approval of the House of Commons alongside the local government finance settlement.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to page 39 of his Department's annual report and accounts for 2022/23, HC 1478, published on 20 July 2023, what the distance travelled on domestic flights was that resulted in the emission totals of (a) 7 tCO2e in 2021/22 and (b) 14 tCO2e in 2022/23.

Simon Hoare: The department supports communities across the UK to thrive, making them great places to live and work. Our responsibility to maintain the strength of the Union necessitates travel to all corners of the nation as does our Levelling Up mission. The Covid-19 pandemic is responsible for the difference in miles travelled between 2021/22 and 2022/23.The distance travelled on domestic flights that resulted in the emission totals of (a) 7 tCO2e in 2021/22 and (b) 14 tCO2e in 2022/23 were.2021-22 Domestic flights – 53,859km travelled.2022-23 – Domestic flights – 109,901km travelled.

Local Government: Correspondence

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department provides to local authority chief executives on responding to correspondence from Rt hon. and hon. Members.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will encourage the Chief Executive of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish on (a) Denton Community College academisation, (b) Tameside Children’s Services scorecard data and (c) Denton Christmas lights.

Simon Hoare: Councils are independent, democratic bodies accountable to the communities they serve and responsible for managing correspondence.

Teesworks Joint Venture Independent Review

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the independent assurance review into the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation and Teesworks Joint Venture.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on what date his Department first received an initial copy of the independent assurance review into the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation and Teesworks Joint Venture.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish all correspondence and communications between his Department and the panel of the independent assurance review into the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation and Teesworks Joint Venture.

Simon Hoare: This review was established at the request of the Mayor of Tees Valley to establish the truth behind the very serious allegations of corruption and illegality made by the member for Middlesbrough. The review will have provided you with the opportunity to present any evidence to the panel to substantiate these serious allegations.The timing of the review is dictated by the independent panel.The department is a key consultee for the panel’s fact-checking process. Officials received an early working draft to offer solely factual comment in late November 2023. No drafts have been shared with ministers. We have not received the final report, which is independent of this department, and our officials do not have a say on its findings.It would not be appropriate to release correspondence between the panel and officials while the report is being finalised.We understand that the report is of interest to Parliament and the public and hope to be able to publish it shortly.

Planning Permission: Fees and Charges

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the increase in planning fees under the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023 on the speed of granting planning permissions by local planning authorities.

Lee Rowley: Planning fees were increased on 6 December 2023. The Department has and I have made it clear that we expect local planning authorities to use the additional income generated by the fee increase in their planning services, so that the planning service benefits from more resources. This investment should lead to an improvement in the speed of decision-making in time.The performance of all local planning authorities in relation to the speed and quality of decision-making is continuously monitored and reported quarterly through the Department’s live tables on planning application statistics. These can be viewed here.   We will use this information to assess the impact of the increase in planning fees, and will be very carefully monitoring in the months ahead.

Public Buildings: Flags

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued recent guidance to local authorities on the flying foreign flags on public buildings.

Lee Rowley: In England, flags are treated as advertisements for the purposes of the planning system and are controlled under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement)(England) Regulations 2007. The Government publishes general guidance, the Plain English Guide to Flag Flying, for local planning authorities and others on the need for advertisement consent to display flags. This was last updated in July 2021. In broad terms, the Regulations permit certain types of flags, including any country’s national flag, to be flown without the need for consent from a local planning authority.Should there be a perceived misuse of this flexibility, the department is open to reviewing this guidance once again, and we would welcome examples of concern.

Construction: Small Businesses

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has taken recent steps to support small and medium sized builders.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to encourage Homes England to bring forward more small sites for housebuilding.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to encourage Homes England to (a) work more closely with and (b) deliver more houses built by small builders.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the support provide by Homes England's (a) grant funding schemes and (b) support workers and professional staff to (i) small and medium sized and (b) self and custom builders.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of (a) support schemes for loans, (b) mortgage support and (c) grants for (i) self and custom and (ii) small builders.

Lee Rowley: My Honourable friend is absolutely right to point out that small and medium sized (SME) housebuilders and self and custom builders (S&CB) are an indispensable part of our housebuilding sector and the Government is committed to providing them with support.This is why we established the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund, which provides financial support to SMEs and innovative housebuilders – including self and custom builders – to help build around 42,000 homes, and the £1 billion ENABLE Build Guarantee scheme.The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act will also help SMEs by making the planning process easier to navigate, faster and more predictable. The Government regularly assesses its support package for SMEs and S&CB.

Homelessness: Greater Manchester

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to financially support voluntary and community sector organisations that support homeless people in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

Felicity Buchan: The government is investing over £2 billion over three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, largely through local authorities, many of which use a proportion of this investment to fund voluntary and community sector projects and organisations locally.Government is also directly investing in the sector. The £7 million Voluntary and Community Frontline Sector Grant programme supports the homelessness voluntary sector across England to develop their skills, capacity and capability through advice, training and partnership development. The £13 million Night Shelter Transformation Fund supports four night shelter projects across Greater Manchester in Wigan, Salford, Bolton and Manchester.

Property Management Companies

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department (a) holds and (b) publishes on the number of residential units controlled by management companies in England.

Jacob Young: We do not hold or publish data on the number of residential units controlled by management companies in England.

Warehouses: Land Use

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the National Planning Policy Framework for providing sufficient land for (a) warehouses and (b) other logistical infrastructure.

Lee Rowley: No.

Parking

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to regulate parking enforcement companies.

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 20 October 2023 to Question 202904 on Parking: Private Sector, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 impact assessment.

Jacob Young: The Government, following the introduction of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, is taking action to improve the regulation of the private parking industry.Currently the Government is developing a new code of practice which will set out straightforward rules that private parking companies across England, Scotland and Wales must follow.We are currently updating our Impact Assessment following a recent call for evidence exercise. We will publish this document in due course, alongside a consultation on parking charge levels and debt recovery fees.

Warehouses: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help support the warehouse sector in Solihull constituency.

Jacob Young: Warehousing is a key part of the country’s supply chains, ensuring vital goods are available to businesses and consumers.My department will continue to work with the sector to support its continued success as part of the work this government has been pursuing with the transport and logistics sector.

Private Rented Housing

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department (a) has made an assessment of and (b) holds data produced by commissioned research on the potential impact of changes proposed by the Renters (Reform) Bill on the number of private residential landlords.

Jacob Young: The Renters (Reform) Bill will deliver the government’s commitment to ‘a fairer private rented sector’.The Bill’s green rated impact assessment estimated the gross costs of reforms amount to just £10 per rented property annually – approximately 0.1% of mean annual rents.

Cornish Language

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to protect the Cornish language.

Jacob Young: The Government is committed to supporting and preserving Cornwall’s rich language, heritage and culture. This is reflected through the recent devolution deal agreed with Cornwall in December 2023, which provides £500,000 of funding to support Cornish distinctiveness through the protection and promotion of the Cornish language.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to people that host Afghan refugees in their homes.

Felicity Buchan: The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided thousands of people the chance to start new lives in the UK.As set out previously, the Department of Levelling UP, Housing and Communities is exploring a range of other accommodation options to support ACRS households, whilst recognising the specific needs of Afghan families.

Affordable Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help local authorities increase the number of (a) affordable and (b) social housing.

Lee Rowley: This Government continues to be fully committed to increasing the supply of all housing. We have given local authorities the tools to deliver both social and affordable housing.

Veterans: Sleeping Rough

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans are rough sleepers; how data on veteran rough sleeping is collected; and when that data was last collected.

Felicity Buchan: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 6766 on 18 December 2023.

Housing: Construction

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has taken recent steps to support (a) self and (b) custom builders.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the Bacon review into scaling up self-build and custom housebuilding.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to implement the recommendation of the Bacon review into scaling up self-build and custom housebuilding to create a new Custom and Self-Build Housing Delivery Unit within Homes England.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the Help to Build scheme; and whether he plans to improve that scheme.

Lee Rowley: The Government has taken forward a number of interventions to support self and custom build in line with our response to the Bacon Review published in June 2022. This includes: continuing to make loan funding available to custom build developers through the £1.5 billion Levelling Up Home Building Fund; funding the release of plots for self and custom build through the Brownfield Land Release Fund; launching the Help to Build: Equity Loan scheme for people who want to build their own homes; amending the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to improve the implementation of the 2015 Act and increase the amount of land granted planning permission for self and custom build; and establishing the Self Commissioned Homes Delivery Unit within Homes England to accelerate and maximise the delivery of self-commissioned homes - which include self and custom build and community led homes - within existing programmes.In December 2023, the Government updated the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) further to support self and custom build and we will consult shortly, on further regulations to ensure that only planning permission specifically for self and custom build housing will count against an authority’s duties under the 2015 Act. We are working to ensure that the Help to Build scheme serves its intended purpose to widen access to self and custom build for those without substantial cash reserves.

Planning Permission: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the administration of planning applications at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

Lee Rowley: The performance of all local planning authorities in relation to speed and quality of decision-making are continuously monitored and reported quarterly through the Department’s live tables on planning application statistics. These can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics.

Community Land Trusts

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has taken recent steps to support the growth of community land trusts.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to help enable more community-led housing developments on rural exception sites.

Lee Rowley: The Government is committed to supporting Community Land Trusts and other providers of community housing. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government's planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied, and was most recently revised in December 2023. The National Planning Policy Framework now includes several measures that will support the diversification of the housing market, including the growth of the community-led housing sector. These new measures include:A new community-led housing exception sites policy to encourage local authorities to support the development of community-led sites that deliver affordable housing to meet local need;encouragement to local planning authorities to seek opportunities to support small sites to come forward for community-led development for housing;greater emphasis on the role that community-led development can have in supporting the provision of housing in rural areas; anda definition of “community-led developments”, which will help planning authorities provide support for local proposals for community-led housing development;Community-based groups (or their partner organisations) who are registered as providers of social housing may apply for capital grant through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).In addition, in 2023, we provided £3 million to support a social finance fund to provide equity and loan finance for community-led housing schemes across England. This fund is expected to support the delivery of 1587 homes over ten years.

Telecommunications: Permitted Development Rights

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of using permitted development powers for the installation of (a) fibre optic and (b) 5G (i) poles and (ii) other infrastructure in residential areas on (A) broadband coverage, (B) quality of life and (C) street landscape in those areas.

Lee Rowley: Reliable, fast digital connectivity is vital for the prosperity of this country, local businesses and families.It is essential that the planning system can effectively support the delivery of the telecommunications infrastructure that we need. Permitted development rights are an important tool to enable deployment of fixed line broadband and mobile telecommunications. In 2022 we introduced reforms to planning regulations to enable faster deployment of 4G and 5G networks.These encouraged sharing of existing infrastructure and ensured that local areas can consider the location and appearance of new ground-based masts. The Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development and Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice outline additional expectations for operators to consult communities.The Government Response to consultation, published on 7 March 2022, set the Government’s assessment of how these changes strike an appropriate balance between providing local control and delivering improved connectivity.

Land Use: Planning Permission

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to reform the National Planning Policy Framework to help ensure that land is not being banked.

Lee Rowley: The Government wants to see homes built faster and to higher standards. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act introduced a number of measures to increase transparency about build out, allow local authorities and local communities to better understand what they can expect from development proposals, and put in place sanctions where this does not happen. Last year, we consulted on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, including policy measures to support faster build-out. The Government published its response to this consultation on 19 December 2023, setting out that we will consult further on our proposed policy measures in due course.

Building Inspectors

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many qualified building inspectors are (a) registered and (b) approved with the Construction Industry Council.

Lee Rowley: The Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR), a separate company owned by the Construction Industry Council (CIC), is currently the designated body for the registration of approved inspectors. There are currently 82 approved inspector companies registered in England and Wales.

Bellwin Scheme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will activate the Government's Bellwin scheme for flooded areas.

Simon Hoare: As set out previously, the Government is ready to consider local authority requests for Bellwin Scheme support.

Council Tax: Asylum

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to amend the Council Tax (Additional Provisions for Discount Disregards) Regulations 1992 so that (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers being voluntarily housed by a person living alone are disregarded for the Council Tax single person discount.

Simon Hoare: People in England who hold a Homes for Ukraine immigration permission are disregarded when determining whether a discount should be applied to the council tax for their accommodation.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Deductions

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims were subject to deductions in each local authority area in the 2022-23 financial year; what the (a) average and (b) total amount deducted was; and what proportion of deductions were used to repay advance payments.

Jo Churchill: The requested analysis of Universal Credit claims with deductions, in the 2022-23 financial year, by Local Authority in Great Britain (GB) is provided in the separate spreadsheet, with the following points to note: 1. Average deduction amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1 and proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. The sum of individual constituencies may not sum to the total figure due to rounding.2. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.3. The' unknown' parliamentary constituency label relates to claims for which a constituency could not be determined due to incomplete postcode information. Unknown parliamentary constituency accounts for 0.4% of all UC households.4. "Advances" include all four UC advance types: New Claim, Benefit Transfer, Budgeting and Change of Circumstances.5. The table includes the number of distinct Universal Credit households subject to a deduction in the period 2022-2023. Any household with deductions in more than one assessment period within the period requested will only be counted once. Deduction amount represents the total deduction taken for a particular household. Where a household has multiple deductions in the same assessment period these figures provide the total of all deductions taken.6. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.Attachment (xlsx, 763.0KB)

Jobcentres: Armed Forces

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentre clients have been assisted by an Armed Forces Champion in Solihull constituency in the last year.

Jo Churchill: Since January 2023, 12 members of the local Armed Forces community have been supported in Solihull constituency. The Armed Forces Champions have specific responsibilities for supporting members of the Armed Forces community and their role involves front line responsibilities including building staff capability within their districts, personally handling some claims, supporting veterans into work and helping resolve complex cases where necessary. Every Work coach is trained on how to provide tailored and personalised support to members of the Armed Forces community and their families, working in partnership with their Armed Forces Champions. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example garrison towns, this will form a significant part of the work done in individual Jobcentres. Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Household Support Fund: Greater Manchester

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many awards have been made through the Household Support Fund in (a) Manchester, Gorton constituency and (b) Greater Manchester since October 2021.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many families have received funding from the Household Support Fund in (a) Manchester, Gorton constituency and (b) Greater Manchester since October 2021.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Household Support Fund on levels of child poverty in Manchester, Gorton constituency since October 2021.

Jo Churchill: There have been four Household Support Fund (HSF) schemes to date, with the current iteration running until the end of March 2024. Management Information (MI) was published for HSF1-3 following the completion of each scheme and can be found here. Household Support Fund 3 management information:1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) Household Support Fund 2 management information: 1 April to 30 September 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) Household Support Fund management information: 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The latest MI covering HSF3 was published in August 2023. We will similarly look to publish MI for the entirety of HSF4 following scheme completion and subject to quality assurance processes. An evaluation of the current HSF4 scheme is underway. This will seek to understand the delivery and impacts of scheme funding. The number of awards is reported by Authorities, and so data at a constituency level is not available. A total of 1.8m HSF awards were provided to residents in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester (Manchester, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, Salford and Trafford) during HSF1-3,including 420,000 in Manchester City Council. The number of awards, as reported by Authorities, may not represent the number of people helped as some may have received multiple awards. No assessment has been made of the impact of the Household Support Fund on child poverty. The HSF is an intentionally flexible scheme designed to enable Local Authorities to respond to local need. Local Authorities are encouraged through our scheme guidance to consider the needs of households including families with children of all ages. A total of £80.7m has been spent in the Local Authorities that make up Greater Manchester during HSF1-3 of which an average 69% has been spent on families with children. This includes 19.4m spent in the Manchester Local Authority of which 52% has been spent on families with children. Overall, Greater Manchester has been allocated £134.6m over all 4 rounds of the Household Support Fund including £32.3m for the Manchester Local Authority. Information regarding HSF4 funding allocations can be found here.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to (a) work coaches and (b) decision makers on, (i) referring for sanctions and (ii) imposing sanctions on, Universal Credit claimants with dependent children.

Jo Churchill: Comprehensive Universal Credit guidance is provided to Work Coaches when referring cases for a decision, which may lead to a sanction. For example, before referring for or applying a sanction, staff must consider if the claimant is a care leaver, has complex needs, is vulnerable, has a health condition or if there have been previous sanctions recorded in the last 12 months.For sanctions imposed on Universal Credit claimants with dependent children; all claimants will have their conditionality tailored to their individual circumstances.Relevant guidance for Decision Makers is available on GOV.uk. Specific relevant chapters can be found here: K1: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/644a43f8faf4aa0012e12f52/admk1.pdfK2: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61e13d648fa8f5058667834d/adm-k2.pdfK3: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b6afc961adff000d01b2f9/admk3.pdfK4: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c92307840f0b633f71989d7/admk4.pdfK5: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ca5b6421df0f000dab4be6/admk5.pdfK6: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d0b94a3e5274a0694afe5c3/admk6.pdfK8: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5aa2811de5274a3e391e37a6/admk8.pdfK9: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b6afd60ea2cb000d15e546/admk9.pdf

Universal Credit: Childcare

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) single and (b) couple parent households receiving universal credit (i) were eligible for and (ii) received the childcare element in each region in the latest month for which data is available.

Jo Churchill: Statistics on the number of households in receipt of Universal Credit are published every three months. The latest statistics, to August 2023, are available by family type and if they receive the childcare element, and by region on Stat-Xplore. Statistics on the number of households who are eligible for the childcare element are not routinely published, but we are looking to develop the official UC household statistics to include these statistics. Further details will be published here in due course.

Mental Illness

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence of (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety is for each age cohort of (i) men and (ii) and for people (A) in work and (B) who are long term sick.

Mims Davies: “Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other. As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition by age and sex for those (A) in work and (B) economically inactive due to long-term sickness, for the most recent quarter of data available. Note this is unpublished data. Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety by age and sex, for those in work and those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, April-June 2023 (unpublished)  In workEconomically inactive due to long-term sickness TotalMaleFemaleTotalMaleFemaleTotal2,682,1831,026,2351,655,9481,360,720566,368794,35216 to 24317,861108,056209,805106,62248,05458,56825 to 34801,357306,992494,365206,33694,522111,81435 to 49895,129333,752561,377328,877133,968194,90950 to 64667,836277,435390,401718,885289,824429,061 Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person dataNote this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Sign Language: Education

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Disability Unit has made a recent assessment of the (a) level of demand for and (b) adequacy of the availability of courses in British Sign Language.

Mims Davies: The Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office has not made any recent assessments of the (a) level of demand for and (b) adequacy of the availability of courses in British Sign Language (BSL) as this is the remit of the Department of Education. However, following the passage of the BSL Act (2022), the Government established a non-statutory BSL Advisory Board who will continue to consider and advise the Government on matters of importance to the d/Deaf community.

Unemployment: Mental Illness

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether (a) policy interventions for and (b) other approaches to (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety are different for people reporting it as a (A) primary and (B) secondary condition.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether performance differs in helping people to re-engage with work who report (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves as a (i) primary and (ii) secondary condition.

Mims Davies: On average between 2014 and 2022, disabled people who reported depression, bad nerves or anxiety as their main long-term health condition were more likely to move into work than those that reported it as a main or secondary condition – 14.8% of those not in work the previous year for main condition compared to 9.5% for main or secondary condition. To note, the way the survey data is structured means we are unable to look at labour market impacts for those with conditions listed only as a secondary condition. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses an individual against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition(s) or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself. Therefore, whether the condition is primary or secondary is not relevant to the WCA outcome.The WCA outcome will determine what work-related requirements, if any, are appropriate. Those with particular health conditions, regardless of whether they are listed as primary or secondary conditions, may be found in any labour market regime as people’s conditions can impact their ability to work or engage in work related activity in different ways. This varies from claimants experiencing the most severe impacts from their health condition who are placed in the No Work Related Requirement group and cannot be subject to any work-related requirements, to claimants with health conditions but who are nonetheless fit for work who may set up to 35 hours of work search a week. Where claimants are in a group where conditionality is set, conditionality is agreed between the WC and the claimant and always tailored to someone’s circumstances. A work coach will consider the circumstances of the person in front of them when setting requirements and referring them to specific provision or policy interventions, regardless of whether a condition is listed as a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ condition.

Unemployment: Mental Illness

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence is of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety in people aged between 16 and 64 who have been economically inactive because of long term health conditions since (i) 2010 and (ii) 2000.

Mims Davies: “Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other. As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness from 2013 to 2023, published in The Employment of Disabled People 2023 (Table EIA017). Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety for those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, 2013-2023 QuarterNumber of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick (thousands)Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick with depression, bad nerves or anxiety (thousands)Apr 13 to Jun 132,071908Apr 14 to Jun 141,999908Apr 15 to Jun 152,092992Apr 16 to Jun 162,0481,000Apr 17 to Jun 171,986976Apr 18 to Jun 182,046980Apr 19 to Jun 192,0391,034Apr 20 to Jun 202,1331,143Apr 21 to Jun 212,1921,149Apr 22 to Jun 222,3941,256Apr 23 to Jun 232,5821,361 Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person dataNote this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Unemployment: Mental Illness

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what interventions have proved effective at helping people with (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves into work.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps his Department takes to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on clinically recognised approaches to treating (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety to design appropriate work-related interventions to tackle rates of long term sickness.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what guidance his Department provides to employers to help them manage employees who report (a) bad nerves, (b) depression and (c) anxiety to stay in work.

Mims Davies: The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom. Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; andThe Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market. Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; andEstablishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.

Pensioners: Poverty

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of Carers Allowance and State Pension being overlapping benefits on levels of pensioner poverty.

Mims Davies: No such assessment has been made. Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need.Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances, they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces some income where the carer is not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules normally operate to prevent them being paid together. However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance, which is currently £76.75.Where underlying entitlement of Carer’s Allowance occurs (all entitlement conditions are met, but the overlapping benefit rule prevents payment), additional financial support may be available through Pension Credit, notably including the additional amount payable to carers. This additional amount is currently £42.75 a week – over £2,200 a year - and around 100,000 carers receive it as part of their Pension Credit award. It is paid to recognise the additional contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and means that lower income pensioners with caring responsibilities can receive more than other lower income recipients of Pension Credit. If a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty. The State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In April 2023 the State Pension was increased by 10.1% and, subject to parliamentary approval, will be increased by a further 8.5% increase from April 2024. In 2021/22, there were 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10. As far as pensioner carers are concerned, additional financial support is already available, focussed on those in most need.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity group left that group in the last 12 months.

Mims Davies: There were 1,020,700 claimants in the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity group in November 2022, of which 65,600 (6.4%) were not in the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity group in November 2023 (the latest month of data that can be analysed). Note: These figures are rounded to the nearest 100, produced using internal MI and are not quality assured to Official Statistics standards.

Local Housing Allowance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is his planned timetable for announcing local housing allowance rates for 2025; and if he will launch a consultation on the level of those rates.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State (SoS) has recently completed his review of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for 2024/25. As announced by the Chancellor in the recent Autumn Statement, from April 2024 the Government will be investing £1.2 billion increasing LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This ensures 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit, or the Housing Element of Universal Credit will gain, on average, nearly £800 per year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. This is a significant investment of £7bn over five years.The SoS has committed to reviewing LHA rates annually, usually in the Autumn. The rates for 2025/26 have not yet been reviewed.The department works closely with stakeholders, jobcentres, and local authorities to understand the impact of its policies.

Local Housing Allowance: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made on the potential impact of changes announced in the Autumn Statement of eligibility for allowances on recipients' ability to pay private sector rents.

Jo Churchill: No Assessment has been made.

Widowed Parent's Allowance

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Widowed Parent's Allowance to allow continued claims if the individual remarries or lives with another person.

Paul Maynard: No assessment has been made. Widowed Parent’s Allowance is an income-replacement benefit. Entitlement to Widowed Parent’s Allowance ends on the formation of a new legal union or cohabiting partnership because that involves a change in the household composition and, consequently, household income. Universal Credit can provide ongoing assistance with living costs where further financial support is required.

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inspections have the Health and Safety Executive conducted by sector in each year since 2008.

Paul Maynard: The table below shows the number of inspections, by year and by sector, carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for each financial year since 2017. HSE’s data deletion policy only allows for retention of detailed inspection data for up to 7 years, therefore data before 2017 can be found on Gov.uk website. The figures below are based on raw live data and can be subject to change due to updates to historical cases. Therefore these figures may differ to the figures published in the Annual Reports. ‘Sector’ as used in this table is a term used by HSE internally and is a categorisation of the main economic activity of a workplace. The figures below include inspections to major hazard sites. A breakdown by sector is not always published in the Annual Reports as the focus will be on the respective priorities of business plan for that work year.Year InspectedSector2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23Agriculture574773708229405868Construction7,8727,4725,0044,5826,1346,146Extractive Utilities13542401484486Manufacturing6,0685,2894,3226,0805,7295,417Services3,3043,1952,2913,7173,4262,959Unknown751442Water/Waste Management1,6261,4181,1482,2251,2581,434Total19,58618,19413,51416,98517,00016,912

Department for Work and Pensions: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Paul Maynard: The information below shows the information held by DWP in relation to the settlement payments following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination over the financial years of (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22, (iv) 2022-23. (i) 2019-2020(a) Bullying – 0(b) Harassment – 3(c) Discrimination – 0 (ii) 2020-2021(a) Bullying – 0(b) Harassment – 2(c) Discrimination – 0 (iii) 2021-2022(a) Bullying – 3(b) Harassment – 11(c) Discrimination – 0 (iv) 2022-2023(a) Bullying – 2(b) Harassment – 4(c) Discrimination – 0 This is the number of cases settled by DWP due to poor prospect of success at litigation in line with Cabinet Office guidance. DWP do not have in place any compromise agreements in this period.

Jobcentres: Armed Forces

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Veterans' Strategy Action Plan 2022 to 2024, if he will list the 50 Jobcentre Plus offices where Armed Forces Champions have been appointed.

Jo Churchill: Champions are allocated to Jobcentre Plus Districts, rather than individual Jobcentres. Our model for Armed Forces Champions comprises 50 Armed Forces Champions working alongside 11 Group Leads at managerial level in 37 Districts. This ensures that there is at least one Armed Forces Champion role allocated to each Jobcentre Plus District supported by a Group network, with resources in the network targeted where there is geographically particularly high levels of demand. In addition to the Armed Forces Champions roles, all Work Coaches are trained to provide veterans and others with the help and support they need to access both benefits and employment support.

Disability

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work plans to outline her priorities for supporting disabled people.

Mims Davies: This Governments priorities on supporting disabled people remains unchanged. We will continue to build on our strong track record, which includes supporting over two million more disabled people into work Our multi-billion pound support plans announced at Autumn Statement will further help millions more disabled people and those with health conditions, including those with long-term sickness, to start, stay, and succeed in work.

Universal Credit: Veterans

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pension, how many veterans have been identified as Universal Credit claimants since the introduction of the new DWP marker.

Jo Churchill: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not collected on the specific branch of the Armed Forces that claimants are serving in or have served in in the past. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who have served in the Armed Forces in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. By 12th December 2023, approximately 92,000 UC claimants had been identified as having “served in the past”. This figure includes current UC claimants and people who have claimed in the past. Notes:1. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland. The figures provided only relate to Great Britain.2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.3. Figures may be subject to retrospective changes as more up-to-date data becomes available or if methodological improvements are made.4. The figure provided only includes claimants who have been associated with a UC contract for which a statement was generated. It is not consistent with the Official Statistics UC caseload definition.

Universal Credit: Childcare

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Universal Credit claimants eligible for and receiving the childcare element between March 2021 to February 2022, published on 29 June 2022, whether he plans to publish an update to these statistics.

Jo Churchill: We intend to publish proposals on the future release of these statistics in due course at: UC Research and Statistics Announcements

Home Office

Hate Crime: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle hate crime in Solihull constituency.

Laura Farris: The Government is clear that all forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable. We have a robust legislative framework in place to respond to hate crimes which target race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity and expect the police to fully investigate these abhorrent offences and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. Our absolute priority is to get more police onto our streets, cut crime, protect the public and bring more criminals to justice. We are supporting the police by providing them with the resources they need. Part of this necessitates police recruitment and training – that is why we have the highest number of police officers on record in England and Wales. Funding for West Midlands Police will be up to £789.4 million for 2024/25, an increase of up to £50 million when compared to 2023/24. As of 31 March 2023, West Midlands Force recruited 1,376 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 1,218 officers. The deployment of all officers is an operational decision for Chief Constables. The Government continues to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of all forms of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. We also continue to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub, a central capability designed to support individual local police forces in dealing with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these despicable offences.

Home Office: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Chris Philp: Owing to the low number of settlements and the risk of identification, the Home Office cannot provide this information without breaching data protection regulations.

Slavery: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle modern slavery in Solihull constituency.

Laura Farris: The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery; ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.We work closely with law enforcement, the criminal justice system, business, civil society and local government. The UK response is underpinned by the Modern Slavery Strategy 2014 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015; this legislation gives law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery offences, including a maximum life sentence for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims.Since 2016, in addition to core police funding, we have invested £17.8 million in the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit, a specialist police unit which supports all police forces in England and Wales, including West Midlands Police, to improve their response to modern slavery.The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. If a First Responder thinks that modern slavery has taken place, the case should be referred to the NRM so that the relevant competent authority can fully consider the case. This process operates across all of England and Wales.The Home Office also funds the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC) to provide specialist support to adult victims of modern slavery in England and Wales. A total of 10,704 adults in England and Wales received support through the MSVCC during the year ending June 2023, the largest number supported for any year since the contract began.

Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to lay regulations commencing sections (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3 of the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) guidance he has issued to police forces and (b) data his Department is collecting on the recording of data on harassment offences where sex or gender is a relevant factor.

Laura Farris: Public sexual harassment is an appalling crime which the Government is committed to tackling. Women have the right to both be and feel safe on our streets.The Government has already taken significant action to tackle it, including supporting the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 (sponsored by Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP and Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC), which makes public sexual harassment a specific offence.As with any new criminal justice legislation, an implementation period is necessary to ensure all processes, systems and guidance are updated – including drawing up the statutory guidance. We will ensure the legislation comes into force as quickly as reasonably possible.We have ensured that new guidance was published for police and prosecutors on existing offences, have provided £160 million through five rounds of the Safer Streets and Safety of Women at Night Funds to make our streets safer, have created the new StreetSafe tool which allows people to pinpoint where they have felt unsafe and the police to take action, and have launched the ground-breaking ‘Enough’ communications campaign.

Domestic Abuse: Administration of Justice

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the experiences of the criminal justice system of survivors of domestic abuse.

Laura Farris: In March 2022, we published the cross-Government ‘Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan’, which seeks to transform society’s response to domestic abuse through preventing reoffending, supporting victims, pursuing perpetrators and strengthening the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals.To ensure victims are given the support they need, the Government has supported the Domestic Abuse Matters programme which provides specialist domestic abuse training to police forces. We are funding the development of a new module of this training programme, targeted specifically at investigators of domestic abuse offences to enable further improvement in police responses to domestic abuse incidents. A 2020 evaluation of the programme showed a 41% increase in arrests for coercive or controlling behaviour, associated with the training.The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have quadrupled funding for victim and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This funding includes £21 million ringfenced per annum for PCCs to commission services supporting victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse. The MoJ are using additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of ISVAs and IDVAs by 300, to over 1,000, by 2024/25 - a 43% increase.In February 2023, MoJ laid secondary legislation to ensure legal aid will be available for domestic abuse victims seeking a Domestic Abuse Protection Order. The legislation now also allows for more types of evidence to be accepted from victims of domestic abuse, making it easier for victims to evidence their claims and access the support they need.In March 2023, the Government introduced the Victims and Prisoners Bill to Parliament. Under the Victims’ Code, victims are entitled to have their crime investigated without unjustified delay and to be provided with information about the investigation and prosecution.

Biometric Residence Permits

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time for issuing biometric residence permit cards was in the last 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: We aim to deliver a BRP within 7 working days of the immigration decision.BRPs are produced at the secure delivery facility (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA)) within 48 hours of the production request being made and are collected by our secure delivery partner the same day. Our secure delivery partner (Royal Mail Group) aims to attempt to deliver the BRPs within 48 hours of receipt of the BRPs. This equates to a minimum of 5 working days from date of production request being made to delivery of the BRP. We have added an additional 2 working days to the timeline advised to applicants to allow us to resolve any production issues.During 2023, DVLA produced 99.6% of BRPs within 24 hours of the production request and 100% within 48 hours. In 2023, our Secure Delivery Partner attempted to deliver over 99% of BRPs within 48 hours.

Refugees: Homelessness

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the most recent figures for the number of refugees who have been assessed as homeless after being ordered to leave asylum support and housing to find their own accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: The Home office does not hold the information you have requested. All individuals who receive a positive decision on their asylum claim are eligible to receive support and accommodation for at least 28 days from when their decision is served.We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation in doing this. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.We work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. We are working with our SMP to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.

Hate Crime: LGBT+ People

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle the causes of changes in the levels of hate crime against LGBT+ people.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Law Commission report Hate crime laws: Final report, HC 942, published in December 2021, if he will implement the recommendations in that report that all (a) anti-LGBT+ (b) and disability hate crimes be treated as aggravated offences.

Laura Farris: We have a robust legislative framework to respond to hate crimes which target transgender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. We expect the police fully to investigate these abhorrent offences and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.The Government is pleased to see the overall reduction in police-recorded hate crime in the year ending March 2023, including a 6% reduction in sexual orientation hate crimes. Whilst an 11% increase in transgender hate crime was seen, and this may partly be due to a genuine rise, the biggest driver is likely to be general improvements in police recording along with increased victim willingness to come forward. We are supporting the police by providing them with the resources they need. Part of this necessitates police recruitment and training – that is why we have the highest number of police officers on record in England and Wales. The Government continues to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of all forms of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. We also fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub, a central capability designed to provide expert advice to support individual local police forces in dealing with online hate crime.The Government is providing over £3m of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2024, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting hate-related bullying and homophobic, biphobic and transphobic based bullying. We are grateful for the detailed consideration the Law Commission has given to its review of hate crime laws. In April 2023, the Government published a response to Recommendation 8 on misogyny as a hate crime and will respond to the remaining recommendations in due course.

Asylum: Hotels

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress he has made on ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers.

Tom Pursglove: Hotel closures will be phased on a monthly basis. Timings will be informed by operational requirements and contractual notice periods. We plan to exit at least 50 hotels used for asylum seekers by the end of January 2024.We keep our asylum accommodation estate under constant review and will close additional hotels whenever possible, ensuring that it does not impact our statutory obligation to accommodate otherwise destitute asylum seekers.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 4 of the Asylum accommodation support transformation: policy equality statement, updated by his Department on 8 September 2020, when the Asylum Accommodation and Support Transformation project was established; and what monitoring mechanisms are in place to help ensure accommodation providers are considering and understanding the (a) protected characteristics and (b) other specific needs of people in their accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. This includes expectations on accommodation providers, recognising protected characteristics and ensuring individual’s specific needs are met. Full details of our polices: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf (parliament.uk). The AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting & Eligibility) service has also introduced more independent and transparent oversight of standards through clearer complaints mechanisms for asylum seekers and supporting data that allows more intelligent targeting of performance improvement. The Home Office also employ a dedicated contract assurance team whose core activity scrutinising the providers’ monthly performance is one of three main strands of work, the other two being property inspections and assurance reviews.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many settled status applications from EU citizens submitted before 8 August 2023 are pending; and how many such applications have been pending for more than (a) 12, (b) 18 and (c) 24 months.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of how long it will take to process pending applications for settled status from EU citizens.

Tom Pursglove: Figures for EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) applications awaiting a decision as at 30 June 2023 are included in the latest statistical release EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) in the Other related data section. Complete applications under the EUSS are generally processed within a month, if no further information is required, but may take longer in certain circumstances. More information on EUSS processing times is available at: EU Settlement Scheme: current estimated processing times for applications - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).All applications are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on their individual circumstances. Those who have made a valid EUSS application can rely on their Certificate of Application as evidence of their right to live and work in the UK pending the outcome of their application, including any appeal.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department provides (a) training and (b) guidance to accommodation providers on how to assess suitability for room sharing between unrelated adults in addition to that which is required by the Asylum Accommodation and Support contracts.

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department provides to asylum accommodation providers on how to respond to incidents of harassment in asylum accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. The Asylum Accommodation Support Contract (AASC) Statement of Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. This includes training requirements for provider staff, room sharing guidance and suitability requirements, and guidance on incidents of harassment. Full details of our polices: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf (parliament.uk).When considering room sharing facilities, we will ensure that rooms are an appropriate size for the number of occupants and the occupancy in each bedroom shall not exceed that specified in the appropriate space standard, as defined in relevant legislation and/or in local authority licensing requirements, as well as ensuring that we are adhering to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance where applicable. Room sharing with friends is encouraged and the Home Office encourage individuals to speak to their housing officer if they know someone that they would like to share a room with. Every effort will be made for room sharing with a friend or family member, if they are the same gender. All personal circumstances will be considered before deciding if room sharing is suitable.The Home Office has published the Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-support-contracts-safeguarding-framework. This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the AASC contracts, for safeguarding arrangements.All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.

Asylum

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the definition is of the asylum legacy backlog.

Tom Pursglove: The legacy backlog is made up of 92,601 asylum claims lodged before the 28 June 2022 which is when provisions within the Nationality and Borders Act came into force. The commitment made by the Prime Minister on 13 December 2022 was to clear this backlog by the end of 2023. All cases in the legacy backlog have now been reviewed, with 86,800 decisions made. An additional 25,300 Flow cases (claims made on and after 28 June 2022) were decided in 2023. Every single case was reviewed and all those that could be concluded were. Around 4,500 claims require further investigation. We will never compromise the integrity of the UK immigration system and will ensure that rigorous checks are made on these claims before decisions are made. Increased efficiency and capacity has seen the Home Office not just clear the equivalent 92,000 legacy asylum backlog, but exceed it, processing over 112,000 cases.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he last met his French counterpart to discuss the matter of illegal migration to the UK by boats crossing the English Channel.

Michael Tomlinson: The Home Secretary spoke to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on 21 December and during this conversation they discussed the ongoing joint efforts by the UK and French governments to stop small boat crossings of the English Channel.The Home Secretary and Minister Darmanin have agreed to meet in the coming weeks to continue this discussion. Officials from across the Home Office engage regularly with French counterparts to continue to monitor our progress in stopping small boats, and our close cooperation with France led to a 36% reduction in small boat arrivals last year.

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) refugee, (b) asylum seeker and (c) human rights charities his Department consulted on the drafting of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has held recent discussions with (a) refugee, (b) asylum seeker and (c) human rights charities on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.

Michael Tomlinson: The Department undertakes routine engagement with a range of stakeholders, on a range of topics, in the development of its immigration policies. As part of the Bill's passage through Parliament there are also opportunities for engagement through the parliamentary process.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will provide EU citizens with (a) pre-settled and (b) settled status (i) a stamp in their passport, (ii) a biometric card and (iii) other physical proof of their legal right of residence.

Tom Pursglove: As part of our move to a “digital by default” border and immigration system, physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and passports with vignette stickers or ‘wet ink stamps’ are being replaced by fully digital eVisas (an online record of the person’s immigration status).All EU, EEA and Swiss citizens granted pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are now able to prove their rights in the UK digitally, by using the View and Prove service on GOV.UK, instead of using physical documents. Non-EU, EEA or Swiss citizen family members who have a UKVI account can also use the View and Prove service.There are no plans to provide EU citizens granted under the EUSS with stamps in passports, biometric cards, or other physical proof of rights of residence.

Migrant Workers: Teachers

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Education on using migrant labour to fill teaching vacancies.

Tom Pursglove: The Government regularly discusses workforce planning in the education sectors, and how to use the immigration system appropriately – in conjunction with resident labour.A range of teaching professions can use the Points Based System, provided they meet the requirements of the visa route they apply for.Teaching professions on the national pay scales (see table 2 at - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-skilled-occupations) will be exempt from the forthcoming changes to salary requirements in the Skilled Worker route.

Visas: Cleaning Services

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Migration Advisory Committee on the number of visas issued to people working as laundry (a) workers, (b) engineers and (c) production managers and supervisors.

Tom Pursglove: The Government engages regularly with the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) when developing its immigration policies, including on its most recent review of the Shortage Occupation List.Further details on the number of visas issued for eligible occupations under the UK immigration system can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-september-2023/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-work.

Police: Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to improve police training.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to improving standards in policing and ensuring that the police workforce remains fit for the future in serving our communities. The College of Policing is the professional body for policing in England and Wales and is an operationally independent arms-length body of the Home Office. It was established in 2012 to set and improve standards for excellence in policing, including recruitment, leadership, professional development and assessment.Training standards and the national policing curriculum are set by the College of Policing. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, to ensure that it is fit for purpose.Forces also provide local training and development at several different levels ranging from initial entry, leadership and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational values. Decisions on how to use funding and resources for police training are an operational matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, who are best placed to make decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.

Visas: Married People

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of women on spousal visas that have been a victim of (a) domestic abuse and (b) modern slavery.

Tom Pursglove: The number of women on spousal visas that have been a victim of domestic abuse and modern slavery does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published. The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Overseas Students: Visas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to delay the implementation of the Government's proposed measures to restrict the ability for international students to bring family members to the UK on student visas.

Tom Pursglove: The Government’s measure to further restrict the right for international students to bring dependants to the UK, came into effect for courses starting from 1 January 2024.

Visas: Married People

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence he has had with the Migration Advisory Committee on the proposed change in the salary threshold for spouse visas.

Tom Pursglove: The decision to raise the MIR was taken to ensure that migration policy is supportive of the wider ambition for the UK to be a high-wage, high-productivity, high-skill economy, and help to ensure that migrants make a net positive contribution to the public finances in addition to ensuring that families would not need to have recourse to welfare and had sufficient resources to participate in British life.Previous advice and evidence provided by the Migration Advisory Committee regarding net-fiscal contributions and access to benefits was considered when making this decision. We did not seek further advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) before making the decision to increase the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) element of the family immigration rules.

Bibby Stockholm

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6871 on Bibby Stockholm, what certification was issued for the Bibby Stockholm by the (a) Maritime and Coastguard Agency and (b) Barbados Maritime Ship Registry since 1 January 2023.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6871 on Bibby Stockholm, if he will publish the Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspection report; and when this inspection took place.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the promotional material entitled Portland Port: Factsheet, published on 29 December 2023, how many staff work in the medical facility on the Bibby Stockholm.

Michael Tomlinson: Appropriate inspections have been conducted by Plymouth Marine Office on behalf of Maritime & Coastguard Agency (PSC Inspection) and report issued on the 8th July 2023. In accordance with sec 197 of the Shipping Act 1994, Barbados Maritime Ship Registry duly inspected the vessel and found it to comply with the provisions of the said Act, Certificate of Inspection (03 Flag Safety Inspection) was issued on the 1st September 2023, and is valid for 12 months.We have no plans to publish the inspection reports and the documents are used and held for internal purposes only.The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).Medical provision will include:a qualified senior health professional, such as an advanced nurse practitioner or a paramedic on site 5 days per week - 9am-5pma GP onsite (one day per week) 9am-5pmremote access to GP consultations when onsite care is unavailable or needs additional supportOutside of theses hours of operation Service Users can use 111 and 999 telephone services

Undocumented Migrants: India and Turkey

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he had with his counterparts in (a) Turkey and (b) India on tackling illegal migration from those countries.

Michael Tomlinson: Tackling illegal migration is a top priority for this government and we continue to engage with all partners on this issue. We have a close partnership with the government of Turkey when it comes to combatting this shared problem and discuss a number of challenges with them, including how we can continue to work together to effectively tackle Organised Immigration Crime. We also have a close and continuous relationship with the government of India on this matter and on 13 November, the Home Secretary met the Indian External Affairs Minister to discuss joint working to tackle Illegal Migration, as well as the secondary legislation currently going through parliament to designate India as a safe country, to strengthen the immigration system and help prevent abuse, including by people making unfounded protection claims.

Visas: Ukraine

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's revised guidance on the Ukraine Family Scheme visa.

Tom Pursglove: Caseworker guidance is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant, accurate and aligned to the emerging development of the schemes over time.Updates were made on 7 December to both the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship scheme guidance in line with changes to the biometric requirements, providing clarification to eligibility criteria.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the skilled worker visa application process on businesses.

Tom Pursglove: Home Office ministers regularly engage with the Department for Business and Trade, and other Whitehall Departments on a range of matters.This Government is keen to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.

Antisemitism

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help support victims of antisemitism.

Tom Tugendhat: We’re committed to tackling the scourge of antisemitism and are providing £18m for protective security funding for the Jewish community in 2023/24 – this figure will be maintained in 2024/25.The Government is providing £7m to support schools and universities to tackle antisemitism, and funds both an online reporting portal to make it easier for victims to report crimes and a hub which supports local forces in tackling online hate crime.

Knives: Bournemouth

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to introduce a Violence Reduction Unit within the Dorset constabulary to tackle knife crime in Bournemouth.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to ensuring that the police have the resources they need to tackle violent crime. That is why I have recently confirmed Dorset’s police funding settlement of £179.8 million in 2024/25, an increase of up to £11.1 million when compared to 2023/24. In addition, in recognition of recent exceptional policing demand arising in Bournemouth, I am pleased to have recently approved, on an exceptional basis, an additional £600k in 23/24 to enable Dorset Police to respond to this pressure.Serious Violence is strongly linked to specific geographies, and, to ensure maximum impact, Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) funding is accordingly allocated in accordance with volumes of serious violence (as measured by hospital admissions relating to injury with a sharp object). This means that Violence Reduction Unit funding is allocated to 20 Police Force Areas, not including Dorset, which collectively account for around 80% of total relevant admissions.However, the Government also recognises that a preventative approach to tackling violence will also benefit in other parts of England and Wales with lower levels of violent crime and that is why we have introduced the Serious Violence Duty, which requires relevant agencies to work in partnership to tackle violence. Funding has also been provided to support implementation of the duty (for Dorset amounting to £292kin the 23/24, with funding continuing in 24/25) which can be used to support delivery of a Violence Reduction Unit based approach in Dorset.

Police: Demonstrations

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable police forces to charge the organisers of marches for the cost of policing them.

Chris Philp: The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of our democracy, but this right must be balanced with the rights of others to go about their daily lives without disruption.The government recognises that there will be unexpected and exceptional events that can put financial pressure on forces. In these cases, Police and Crime Commissioners can apply to the Home Office for special grant funding to meet additional costs that would be incurred from policing these events.The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £18.4 billion in 2024-25, an increase of up to £842.9 million when compared to 2023-24. This includes £34m for Special Grant funding. The core purpose of Special Grant funding is to support the police with costs of unexpected events and these are considered on a case-by-case basis.The Government regularly reviews legislation to ensure it adequately reflects challenges that are likely to be faced today. Where gaps in the legislation are identified, we will seek to address them.

Burglary: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle burglaries in Solihull constituency.

Chris Philp: Crime Survey for England and Wales data shows a 57% per cent fall in domestic burglaries when comparing the year ending June 2023 with year ending March 2010 Crime Surveys; representing a fall from 917,000 to 394,000 incidents. This is clearly good news; however, we recognise the significant impact invasive crimes such as domestic burglary can have on individuals and the wider community, and we are committed to tackling and preventing these crimes.The public want to know the police will visit them when a home burglary has been committed, which is why we welcome the announcement made by the National Police Chiefs’ Council on the 8 June that all 43 police forces in England and Wales have been implementing this policy since March last year. We are working with police leaders to ensure forces are making their attendance data available to the public. https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/police-now-attending-scene-of-every-home-burglaryThe police commitment to attend home burglaries is supported by specific College of Policing good practice guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations. https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/residential-burglary Setting the standard in respect of the initial response and the subsequent investigation, the guidance sits alongside the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice on Investigations.As part of this back-to-basics approach, police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursue all lines of enquiry where there is a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. This commitment, announced on 28 August, has been worked up and agreed by the Home Office, in tandem with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pursuing-all-reasonable-lines-of-enquiry-letter-to-police-leaders/pursuing-all-reasonable-lines-of-enquiry-letter-to-police-leadersTo help ensure the police have the resources they need to fight crime and tackle anti-social behaviour, we have delivered on our commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by the end of March 2023.As of 31 March, a total of 20,947 additional officers had been recruited across England and Wales through the Police Uplift Programme (PUP), raising the number of police officers in England and Wales to 149,566, the highest number on record since comparable records began.As a result of the PUP, on 31 March 2023 West Midlands Police Force had a headcount of 8,067 police officers, an increase of 1,376 additional officers against the baseline (6,691) at the start of the PUP.

Knives: Crime

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in Solihull constituency.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle violent assaults in Solihull constituency.

Chris Philp: Tackling knife crime and violent assaults is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.As a result of the Government’s Police Uplift Programme (PUP) the West Midlands Force recruited 1,376 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 1,218 officers. On 31 March 2023, there were 8,067 police officers in West Midlands, a total growth of 1,376 additional officers against the baseline (6,691) at the start of the Police Uplift Programme.The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £18.4 billion in 2024-25, an increase of up to £842.9 million when compared to 2023-24. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £922.2 million (6.0% in cash terms). West Midlands funding will be up to £789.4 million for 2024/25, an increase of up to £50 million when compared to 2023/24.West Midlands Police are delivering additional policing in their areas worst affected by serious violence via the Grip programme funding, including in Solihull City Centre. This is a combination of regular visible patrols in the streets and neighbourhoods (‘hotspot areas’) experiencing the highest volumes of serious violence to immediately suppress violence and provide community reassurance, and problem-oriented policing. Problem-oriented policing is bespoke to the local areas to tackle the local underlying drivers of crime, using a more comprehensive menu of policing interventions and enforcement. Interventions in the Force area have included targeted open space knife sweeps, knife crime education in schools, and conducting safeguarding referrals. Grip-funded analysts monitor operational police activity within the hotspots, as well as crime levels, to understand the effects of additional patrols on violent crime.Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. They facilitate the sharing of data across organisational boundaries to build a shared understanding of the root causes of violence locally.In the West Midlands its VRU delivers a range of preventative interventions, including Hospital and Custody Navigators (youth workers in settings steering young people away from violence at a ‘teachable moment’), cognitive behavioural therapy programmes and sports-based diversionary programmes.Violence Reduction Units, in combination with Grip, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate). VRUs have supported over 271,000 young people through funded initiatives in in their fourth year of operation alone.We also recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and as a result, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we have introduced provisions to provide more powers for police to seize knives held in private that could be used in crimes, increase the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s. When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to introduce a new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives.

Anti-social Behaviour: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in Solihull constituency.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle arson in Solihull constituency.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and arson. We know the serious impact that arson and persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.On 27 March 2023, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the powers and tools they need to tackle the blight of anti-social behaviour facing communities across England and Wales.The plan is backed by £160m of funding. This includes up to £60m to fund an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we are working with 10 police force areas, but from 2024 we will support a hotspot approach across every police force area in England and Wales. West Midlands Police is one of the pilot forces for the hotspot response funding. We are also providing up to £50m to support the provision of Immediate Justice, by issuing out of court disposals with conditions to swiftly repair any damage – the aim being for them to start within 48 hours of referral. This will start in 10 initial trailblazer police force areas and be rolled out across England and Wales from 2024.On 6 July 2023, we launched the fifth round of the Safer Streets Fund. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales will receive a total of £43 million on top of the £120 million already awarded for the previous four rounds of the Safer Streets Fund to continue to deliver crime and anti-social behaviour prevention measures.Furthermore, the government is committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to do their vital work and to keep the public safe from fires, including those caused by arson. In 2023/24, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.6 billion. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.

Nitazenes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the (a) importation, (b) manufacture, (c) sale and (d) distribution of nitazenes.

Chris Philp: In December 2021, the Government launched its ten-year drug strategy, From Harm to Hope, to cut crime and save lives. As part of this, £300 million has been allocated to fund activity to break drugs supply chains from end-to-end, this includes restricting upstream flow, securing the UK border, and ensuring we remain agile in the face of changing threats.The NCA, the Police and Border Force are delivering a robust multi-agency response to detections of nitazenes, ensuring lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued to stem any supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK. This approach sends a clear message to serious and organised criminals that supply of these dangerous substances will not be tolerated in the UK.We have also established a cross-Government Taskforce to lead and co-ordinate the UK’s strategic response to the risk from synthetic opioids. Members include the Home Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, National Crime Agency, HM Prisons and Probation Service, Border Force and the police.The Government recently laid a draft affirmative Order in November 2023 to control 20 substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, including 14 nitazenes as Class A drugs. This will likely come into force in March. The maximum sentence for possession or supply of a Class A drug is up to life imprisonment, a fine, or both.On 15 December 2023, the ACMD recommended an updated generic definition for nitazene variants. The Government will respond to this recommendation shortly.Additionally, through the Criminal Justice Bill, we are introducing new powers for the police to take action against criminals who intend to use pill presses and encapsulators to manufacture illicit drugs like nitazenes and other synthetic opioids.

Police: Stun Guns

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to use Taser X3 units in police forces.

Chris Philp: The Home Office approves less lethal weapons for police use following extensive technical and medical assessments. Decisions about the selection and purchase of approved less lethal weapons are primarily for chief officers.There are no plans to introduce the X3 to police forces in England and Wales.

MOD Boscombe Down: Domestic Visits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have visited Boscombe Down in the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: There have been no visits to Boscombe Down in the last 12 months.

Anchor Catering: Contracts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Anchor Catering Ltd on 20 December 2023, reference C26070, if he will publish the deliverables specified in Annex 2 of that contract.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office will, in due course, publish the deliverables specified in Annex 2 of the contract between the Home Office and Anchor Catering.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with Scottish local authorities on the number of dispersed bed spaces for asylum seekers.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office continues to discuss full dispersal allocation plans through monthly governance meetings with Scottish local authorities and partners.

Visas: Gaza

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is his Department's policy to waive the visa fee for children leaving Gaza who are non-British citizens with family residing in the UK.

Tom Pursglove: Applicants outside of the UK wishing to apply to join/accompany a family member who is a British national; or a person present and settled in the UK, with a view to residing in the UK, may apply for a fee waiver if they consider they cannot afford the fee.There is no fee attached to applications submitted under Appendix Family Reunion to the Immigration Rules.

Immigration: Applications

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) asylum applications and (b) other applications for leave to remain were awaiting a decision as of 1 January 2024.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office publishes data on immigration applications in the following releases:Provisional data on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision is published in table IMB_02 of the Statistics relating to Illegal Migration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Final statistics on the number of asylum applications awaiting a decision are published in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’, in table Asy_D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’.The number on non-asylum applications awaiting a decision (Work in Progress) is published in the Migration Transparency collection, in table VSI_03 of the ‘Visas and citizenship data’.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department had with the (a) fishing, (b) hospitality, (c) agricultural and (d) health and social care sector before announcing the proposed increase in minimum income threshold for overseas workers.

Tom Pursglove: The Government engages regularly with business sectors, including through a number of its advisory groups when developing its policies and will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.

Biometric Residence Permits

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many biometric residence permit card delays as a result of technical errors in the processing system have been reported in the last 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Visas: Eritrea

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the process for issuing exit visas to Eritrean nationals with UK visas.

Tom Pursglove: Border Force do not issue exit visas.

Migrants: Detainees

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) planned timetable and (b) scope is for the review of his Department's Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy; and whether he has plans to consult outside of his Department as part of that review.

Michael Tomlinson: The Home Office is currently undertaking a review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention Policy. The policy aims to safeguard vulnerable individuals in immigration detention by providing a framework to assess if their detention or continued detention is appropriate. The scope of the review includes the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy and Detention Centre Rules 34 and 35. The review is ongoing and the timetable for completion will become clearer as the review progresses.Engagement outside of the Department will form part of this review and the process for this engagement is currently being considered.

Immigration: Enforcement

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many raids were carried out by Border Force in each local authority area in 2023.

Michael Tomlinson: We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, and we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Undocumented Migrants: Deportation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants his Department deported in 2023.

Michael Tomlinson: The Home Office published provisional data on returns of migrants who do not have a legal right to stay in the UK in the ad-hoc ‘Statistics relating to Illegal Migration’ release. Total numbers of returns by month and return type (including enforced returns of which ‘deportations’ are a subset) are published in table IMB_05 of the accompanying data tables. The latest data relates to 27 December 2023.The term ‘deportations’ refers to a legally defined subset of returns, which are enforced either following a criminal conviction, or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is beneficial to the public good. The published statistics refer to enforced returns which include deportations, as well as cases where a person has breached UK immigration laws, and those removed under other administrative and illegal entry powers that have declined to leave voluntarily. Figures on deportations, which are a subset of enforced returns, are not separately available.Alongside the above ad-hoc statistical release, the Home Office publishes quarterly data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data go up to the end of September 2023. Data to end December will be published in the next release on 29 February.

Asylum: Rwanda

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with charter airlines on the possibility of providing flights between the UK and Rwanda for the purposes of transporting asylum seekers to that country in the last six months.

Michael Tomlinson: The Department engages with commercial partners where required to deliver on its responsibilities. The details of any such discussions are commercially confidential.

Detainees and Prisoners: Pregnancy

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many pregnant people are detained in (a) prison and (b) an immigration detention centre.

Michael Tomlinson: As of 20 December 2023, there are currently no pregnant women detained in immigration removal centres. Questions regarding pregnant people in prisons should be addressed to the Secretary of State for Justice.

Ministry of Justice

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to recommendation 16 of the Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in October 2022, what recent progress his Department has made in helping ensure that (a) the (i) UK and (ii) Welsh Government introduce a national guarantee that child victims of sexual abuse will be offered specialist and accredited therapeutic support and (b) these services are fully funded.

Laura Farris: The Victims’ Code sets out the services and support that victims of crime are entitled to receive from the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Under this Code, all victims, including children, are entitled to access victim support services they may need to help them cope and recover from the impact of a crime. When they report a crime, they have the right to receive information about and be referred to support services by the police, including therapy and counselling within two working days. This is regardless of whether anyone has been charged or convicted of a criminal offence or when the crime itself occurred. They can also access support services directly. We are quadrupling funding for support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This has allowed us to increase specialist services for survivors of sexual abuse. For example, we are increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisers in England and Wales, including those specifically supporting children, by 300 to over 1,000 by 2024/25 - a 43 percent increase over this spending review period. We have also recommissioned the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which is providing £26 million between August 2023 and March 2025 to more than 60 specialist victim support services in England and Wales.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government response to recommendation 16 of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in May 2023, CP 844, what recent progress his Department has made on ensuring (a) that child victims should be offered specialist therapeutic support and (b) an adequate supply of these services.

Laura Farris: The Victims and Prisoners Bill aims to improve support services for child victims by driving forward more informed and effective commissioning at the local level. Under the duty to collaborate, local commissioners must consider the particular needs of children when producing their local commissioning strategies. Local areas are required to conduct a joint needs assessment to inform these strategies which must give proper regard to the needs of child victims, including the risk of sexual abuse, and whether, and how local support services meet those needs. All victims are entitled to support under the Victims’ Code, and we are quadrupling funding for support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This has allowed us to increase specialist services for survivors of child sexual abuse. For example, we are increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors, including those supporting children, by 300 to over 1,000 by 2024/25 – a 43 percent increase over this spending review period. We have also recommissioned the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF), which is providing £26 million between August 2023 and March 2025 to more than 60 specialist victim support services. My Department is also investing almost £90,000 in the Bluestar project at the Green House, who will provide training to 60 specialist victim support services who receive funding through the RASASF to build knowledge and confidence in the delivery of pre-trial support to victims of all ages, including children. A further £270,000 is also being invested in the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to improve the provision of services for victims of child sexual abuse. Activities will include a directory of support services and a data hub. This will enable victims to access information to get the right help, as well as helping commissioners to assess demand for support and allocate resources. Further details can be found in the recent statement from the Home Secretary

Intellectual Property: Theft

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has taken steps to support victims of intellectual property theft.

Laura Farris: We recognise the importance of victims having access to the support they may need to cope and recover from the impact of crime. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) provides Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with grant funding to commission victim support services for victims of all crime types. The Government is quadrupling funding for these services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. This includes a range of services commissioned locally for all victims of crime, including victims of fraud, based on assessments of need. PCCs are best placed to understand their local communities and providers, and to commission appropriate support to meet that need. This is in addition to the support provided by the Action Fraud National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU), which is a focussed and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber-crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. NECVCU is supporting all 43 forces in England and Wales at Level 1 (non-vulnerable victim care) and 38 forces at the enhanced Level 2 service. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 403,432 (vulnerable or non-vulnerable) victims of fraud and prevented £2,882,616 being lost to fraud. The Government is also taking steps to reduce intellectual property infringement and support the enforcement of intellectual property rights through the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). In February 2022, the IPO published its 5-year Intellectual Property Counter Infringement Strategy, which focuses on getting the right structures and processes needed to work together more effectively at home and internationally, to better understand the full threat and impact of intellectual property crime and infringement.

Legal Ombudsman

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of delays in processing open cases by the Legal Ombudsman on the finances of people who have open cases.

Mike Freer: Under the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operate independently of government. The oversight regulator for the legal services sector is the Legal Services Board (LSB). The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) is the board responsible for administering the Legal Ombudsman Scheme (LeO), and as such, it is required to report on the performance of the Legal Ombudsman to the LSB.The LeO has a process for prioritising cases where a consumer’s circumstances mean that their complaint needs resolving urgently. Financial circumstances are one of the factors that can be considered. This information would be held on an individual case-by-case basis, but the LeO does not systematically holds records about consumers’ finances.If the LeO decides that a consumer has experienced financial or non-financial loss as a result of a legal provider’s failings, then the remedy it awards will be assessed at the point the LeO directs it to be made. This would mean a consumer doesn’t lose out as a result of the length of time it has taken for their case to go through the LeO’s process, irrespective of the reasons for this.The Ministry of Justice does not intend to assess the time taken by the Legal Ombudsman to process cases and the financial impact this may have on consumers. Instead, it continues to monitor the LeO’s ongoing performance through regular assurance letters provided by the OLC to the LSB. In an assurance letter provided to the LSB on 28 November 2023, the OLC stated that LeO’s operational performance continues to make progress with improvements in timelines and wait times. At the queue’s peak in 2022, customers could expect to wait up to 16 to 24 months before their complaint reached an investigator. Half of LeO’s customers’ cases are now resolved by early resolution, with no wait time. Latest figures (December 23) show the average journey time for customers whose complaints are resolved through early resolutions has fallen from 68 days in April 2023 to 42 days in December 2023. For those customers whose complaints are investigated, journey times have also reduced in the same period. Against a backdrop of an increase in demand, the LeO has made progress in reducing waiting times in recent years and anticipates a 30% reduction by the end of the year. So far in 2023/24 44% of all cases have been resolved within 90 days. In 2021/22 80% were taking more than 180 days.

Legal Aid Scheme: Greater Manchester

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legal aid provision in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.

Mike Freer: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. At a national level, the LAA monitors capacity across its legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis and, where demand is greater than the available supply, takes action to secure additional provision to ensure the continuity of legal aid-funded services. The commissioning and monitoring of civil legal aid services are done by Procurement Area or Access Point, with Procurement Areas differing for different categories of law. The commissioning standard is to have at least one provider in each civil category per Procurement Area, outside Family Law where the minimum is five. Additionally, legal advice on a range of civil matters including housing, debt, discrimination and education is available, wherever people are, through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service. The commissioning and monitoring of criminal legal aid services are undertaken at a national level. However, the LAA takes steps to ensure there is adequate coverage on each of its duty solicitor schemes. Provision under the duty solicitor scheme is demand led and so there may be variations in numbers across each local rota. Information about the number of legal aid providers contracted to provide services are published as part of the LAA’s statistics [see tables 9.1-9.8]. These statistics are used by the LAA as management information to monitor the capacity of legal aid services over time, in different areas of law and different regions of England Wales. The LAA is satisfied that there is adequate provision of services in Stockport and Greater Manchester across all categories of legal aid, including under the relevant duty solicitor schemes operating in the area.

Ministry of Justice: Public Relations

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on press and public relations in each financial year since 2019-20.

Mike Freer: Like any large operational organisation, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has press and public relation roles to work with the media to ensure the work of the department and its agencies is communicated to the public, as well as ensuring the department is able to attract and recruit sufficient staff to operate critical front line services.MoJ operates a 24/7, 365-day press office that supports MoJ, HM Prison and Probation Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Legal Aid Agency, Office for the Public Guardian and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.In the face of an increasingly challenging recruitment market over recent years, the MoJ has stood up additional, separate PR support to generate applications for critical frontline roles, including prison and probation staff and magistrates, which has led to an increase in PR spend over this period. This has allowed the department to ensure its front line public services remain staffed and operational.Below is a table showing the Ministry of Justice’s press and PR spend since 2019.YearSpend2019-2020£1,507,0002020-2021£1,681,0002021-2022£1,965,0002022-2023£2,612,0002023-2024We are unable to provide figures on unaudited/open accounts.

Conveyancing

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many conveyancers are registered with the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

Mike Freer: The latest figures provided by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) on 8 January 2024 show that there are currently 1804 individual conveyancers who are registered with the CLC.

Sir Brandon Lewis

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 95 of the Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, how his Department calculated the total salary and fees for the Member for Great Yarmouth for the period in which he was Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice between 6 September and 24 October 2022.

Mike Freer: Total salary and fees disclosed in the Remuneration Report are based on gross salary information in line with HMT financial reporting guidance. Upon review it has been noted that the information disclosed for the Member for Great Yarmouth was overstated as it did not reflect an additional correction from the payroll records. The correct gross salary was £9,043 and the net pay received by the Member for Great Yarmouth was based on the reduced amount.

Law Reporting: Artificial Intelligence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using AI to produce trial transcripts.

Mike Freer: The government is constantly assessing how to improve the efficiency within the criminal justice system, including mechanisms to accelerate trial transcripts. We recognise the potential merits to using automated technology for trial transcriptions, including a potential reduction in the time it takes to produce a transcription and comparative value for money. Transcriptions must achieve very high levels of accuracy (99.5%) to ensure the justice system can operate fairly and effectively. However, even software with learning capability cannot yet reliably meet the accuracy requirements for the service without human intervention.

Legal Ombudsman

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to help reduce average processing times for cases with the Legal Ombudsman.

Mike Freer: Under the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operate independently of government. The oversight regulator for the legal services sector is the Legal Services Board (LSB). The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) is the board responsible for administering the Legal Ombudsman Scheme (LeO), and as such, the OLC is required to report on the performance of the Legal Ombudsman to the LSB.The OLC and LeO have been transparent that waiting times experienced by consumers and legal providers needing input from LeO remain too long. Against a backdrop of increasing demand, LeO has made progress in reducing waiting times in recent years. A key driver of improvements to date has been the introduction of early resolution approaches from 2022/23. Before this transformation, all complaints referred to LeO would have been put in a queue waiting to be assessed. Today, over half of complaints are resolved through early resolution and customers can expect to have their cases resolved within an average of 60 days.Following a consultation process in 2021, new Scheme Rules were introduced on 1 April 2023. These rules were designed to enable the LeO to further improve the customers’ experience by increasing efficiency and removing obstacles to resolving complaints, helping to ensure they are able to give an outcome at the earliest possible stage. So far in 2023/24 44% of all cases have been resolved within 90 days. In 2021/22 80% were taking more than 180 days.Further steps the LeO has taken to improve its efficiency, and in turn improve customers’ experience, are outlined in the OLC’s most recent annual report and accounts, draft strategy and business plan, published at https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/corporate-publications/. These include a focus improving the quality of legal providers’ own complaints handling, as one way of helping address rising demand for LeO’s service.

Immigration: Appeals

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases were waiting for a hearing date in the first tier immigration tribunal as of 1 December 2023.

Mike Freer: The number of appeals in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) that are waiting for a hearing date, as at 30 September 2023, is 24,085.The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on a quarterly basis. The latest set of data available covers the period up to 30 September 2023. Data provided in answer to this question is a sub-set of the published caseload data.Published statistics can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2023.

Hate Crime: Reoffenders

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reoffending rates were for people convicted of (a) racially-aggravated, (b) religiously-aggravated and (c) other hate crime offences who (i) received a (A) caution and (B) fine and (ii) were imprisoned in the latest period for which data is available.

Gareth Bacon: We do not centrally hold data on other hate crime offences. This information may be recorded by individual police forces and in court records, however the information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. There are 79,456 offenders in the latest reoffending cohort (October – December 2021) which can be found in the Proven Reoffending Statistics review, here: Proven reoffending statistics: October to December 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Hate Crime

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what rehabilitative programmes are provided by the Probation Service to help tackle hate crime; and whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the impact of these programmes on levels of recidivism.

Edward Argar: There are no rehabilitative programmes or interventions designed specifically to address hate crime. Hate crime offences are typically driven by a range of underlying factors that are shared with other types of offending for which there are a range of programmes and interventions available that may be suitable. What programme(s) or intervention(s) may be most suitable for someone convicted of hate crime offences is determined based on the nature of the offence and an assessment to determine eligibility and the specific rehabilitative needs of the offender.A number of studies and evaluations have been carried out in recent years on HMPPS rehabilitative programmes and interventions, and can be found by visiting https://www.gov.uk/crime-justice-and-law#research_and_statistics.

Youth Custody

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people from each (a) ethnic group and (b) religion were in the youth estate as of 30 September 2023.

Edward Argar: Disaggregated monthly data in relation to children and young people in the Youth Secure Estate are published in our Youth Custody Report. The most recent edition, published on 8 December, includes figures for each month in 2023-24 up to 31 October. It can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-custody-data.A breakdown by ethnicity is at table 1.2 and by religion at table 1.5.

Offenders: Women

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 21 of his Department's publication entitled Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan 2022–25, published in January 2023, what is his planned timetable for the publication of the Young Women's (18–25) Strategy.

Edward Argar: We remain committed to delivering the commitments in our Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan by 2025. This includes working towards the publication of the Young Women’s Strategy, that will take a system-wide approach to improving outcomes for young women, and for girls who transition to the adult estate. The strategy will be informed by the young adult women’s pilots at HMP Bronzefield and HMP Styal, and the Operational guidance for working with young adult women in custody, which sets out the approach to supporting young women in prison.We will publish a One Year On report on the Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan shortly, which will report on progress against all commitments in the Plan.

University of Derby: Contracts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with the University of Derby on 8 December 2023, reference 23158, if he will publish the deliverables specified in Annex F Part 1 of that contract.

Edward Argar: Current timelines see that the University of Derby report will be published on gov.uk following its completion in 2025.

Prisoners

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) people and (b) foreign nationals are in prison for each offence category.

Edward Argar: The requested information can be found in the attached spreadsheet.The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is a Government priority with all FNOs sentenced to custody being referred to the Home Office for consideration of deportation. Both departments are working closely to maximise removals from prison including:Expanding the Early Removal Scheme to 18 months so we get them out of the country early so they are no longer a cost to taxpayers;Deploying more Home Office caseworkers to speed up and increase removals from this country, and look at measures to remove foreign nationals accused of less serious crimes more quickly;Continuing to sign strike new prisoner transfer deals like the one agreed with Albania.The Govt has made good progress from removing from prison and the community and published figures show that overall FNO returns have increased in the latest 12-month period (ending September 2023) by 19% when compared to previous 12-month period (3,577 compared to 3,011).   We removed 16,676 foreign national offenders since January 2019 to September 2023.Table (xlsx, 16.0KB)

Prison and Probation Service: Staff

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2023 to Question 7342 on Prison and Probation Service: Staff, how much was spent on (a) flights, (b) hospitality and (c) accommodation on those visits.

Edward Argar: A total of approximately £2,100 was spent on flights, hospitality and accommodation for HMPPS staff for the visits referred to.

Prison and Probation Service: Fujitsu

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contracts HM Prison and Probation Service has with Fujitsu.

Edward Argar: His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has one live contract with Fujitsu as the main contractor, valued at £316,800, and covering Delivery Management Support for the Probation Reform Programme. This contract is due to expire on 31 March 2024.

Wandsworth Prison: Prison Officers

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new prison officers have been recruited at HMP Wandsworth since 7 September 2023.

Edward Argar: The quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication covers staffing information, including joiners. The latest publication covers data for up to the period 30 September 2023.Workforce statistics after 30 September 2023 is unpublished and cannot be released.In the period from 7 September 2023 to 30 September 2023, there have been a total of three Band 3 Prison Officers recruited to HMP Wandsworth. These are new starters only and do not include transfers from other prisons.

Prisoners' Release

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications were (a) made, (b) granted and (c) refused for temporary release from prison under a Childcare Resettlement Licence by (i) men and (ii) women in 2023.

Edward Argar: We are unable to answer this question within cost limits as the required detail is not collated centrally.Data on releases on Childcare Resettlement Licence (CRL) is published regularly in the Offender Management Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2023.CRL is a form of ROTL which allows primary carers of children under 18 to be released to help maintain the relationship with their children. As with any ROTL there is a stringent risk assessment, and the release must be in the child’s best interests.

Wandsworth Prison: Prisoners' Transfers

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inmates have been transferred from HMP Wandsworth due to re-categorisation since 7 September 2023.

Edward Argar: HMP Wandsworth’s main function is to hold unsentenced prisoners while their cases progress through the courts. Once prisoners are sentenced, they are categorised and transferred to a prison with an appropriate security category. Prisoner movement records indicate there have been a total of 568 transfers out of Wandsworth since 7 September 2023. The number of these which were solely due to re-categorisation is not centrally collated.There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison. How these considerations apply in individual cases is not recorded in centrally collated data.

Wandsworth Prison

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings he has had with the senior leadership team at HMP Wandsworth since 7 September 2023.

Edward Argar: The Secretary of State’s most recent meeting with the senior leadership team at HMP Wandsworth was a virtual meeting with the Governor on 6 September.Ministers and senior government officials continue to work and engage closely with leaders responsible for HMP Wandsworth in a variety of ways beyond in-person meetings and site visits.The Area Executive Director (AED) for Prisons and Probation in London is significantly active in the response to the escape at HMP Wandsworth. The Prison Group Director for London, along with their own team, frequently visits HMP Wandsworth and reports back the AED. The AED is in close contact with the Director General of Operations and the Chief Executive of HMPPS via formal governance, and with Ministers via the Ministerial Performance meeting.

Prisons: Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were in prison as a place of safety as of 5 January 2024.

Edward Argar: Prison should never be used as a place of safety for those awaiting assessment or treatment under the Mental Health Act, and the government remains committed to ending the use of this power. There is currently no reliable source of data to determine the number of people affected. Together with HMCTS and NHS England, we are piloting a regional Health and Justice Hub in the Northeast to improve the way that courts, health services and prisons work together at a local level to better support defendants with severe mental illness, with the aim of smoothing the pathway into the right treatment for defendants, whether that is in hospital or in the community.

Prison Officers' Association

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings his Department has held with the Prison Officers Association since 7 September 2023.

Edward Argar: The Prison Officers Association (POA), as a recognised trade union, has regular engagement meetings with HM Prison & Probation Service. In the three months since 7 September, more than 50 meetings have taken place at national level. POA branch committees have also met regularly with local management in every public sector prison during this period.

Prisoners: Higher Education

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were participating in higher education courses as of 5 January 2024.

Edward Argar: As higher education is predominantly undertaken outside the core education contracts, the available figures are those we receive from the Open University (OU) on prisoners attending its courses. The OU reports that on 5 January 2024, 1761 prisoners were undertaking its courses. In addition, a number of prisoners are undertaking Level 4 courses with other providers, and H M Prison & Probation Service funds the Prisoners Education Trust, which provides access modules for prisoners and distance learning courses.

Prison Service: Staff

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of staff safety at prisons operated by HM Prison Service.

Edward Argar: Prison Officers are some of our finest public servants, and we do not underestimate the challenges faced by everyone working in prisons. We will not tolerate any violence against prison officers – staff must be able to expect a safe and decent work environment. We are committed to making prisons a safe place to work and providing prison officers with the right support, training and tools to empower them to do their jobs.   To protect staff and prisoners in very serious assaults, we have rolled out PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – for use by prison officers in the adult male estate. Staff are able to use the PAVA spray where there is serious violence or an imminent or perceived risk of it. We have rolled out a new Body Worn Video Camera system which has increased the overall number of cameras across public sector prisons to over 13,000. This enables every operational band 3-5 officer on shift to wear a camera. The cameras will provide high-quality evidence to support prosecutions against prisoners who commit assaults. We continue to take action to strengthen the frontline. Between the end of December 2022 to the end of September 2023, the number of prison officers has increased from 21,632, to 23,058 FTE an extra 1,426 additional Full Time Equivalent (FTE) band 3-5 prison officers.

Prisoners on Remand

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were held on remand in prison for longer than (a) six months, (b) 12 months and (c) two years as of 30 September (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.

Edward Argar: Information relating to the time spent on custodial remand is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would result in a disproportionate cost to the department.

Reading Prison: Sales

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress his Department has made on the sale of Reading Gaol; what recent estimate he has made of when the sale will be completed; and who the purchaser will be.

Edward Argar: The sale of the former Reading Gaol to the Ziran Education Foundation was completed on 10 January.This sale will provide funds which will be reinvested in the wider prison estate and in turn will help the Ministry of Justice protect the public and reduce re-offending.I have written to both the honourable member and his colleague, the Rt Hon Member for Reading West, to give further details of the sale.

Marriage

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 14 September 2023 to Question 198188, whether his Department has made a further assessment of the implications for his policies of the Law Commission report entitled Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published in July 2022; and when his Department plans to publish a response to that report.

Mike Freer: The Government is still carefully considering the Law Commission’s 57 recommendations for weddings reform and will publish a response in due course.

Treatment of, and Outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Lammy review: final report, published on 8 September 2017, if he will publish a progress report on the implementation of the recommendations of that review.

Mike Freer: This Spring, the Government will again update Parliament regarding the work of the Inclusive Britain Strategy, as it did in April last year. As we work towards this, we are also considering what further updates may be provided from the Ministry of Justice regarding our work to tackle racial disparities in the Criminal Justice System, including the work we committed to in response to the Lammy Review.

Prisons: Drugs

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the pilot scheme to test wastewater for illegal drug use in prisons launched by his Department in 2021.

Edward Argar: We are committed to identifying and tackling drug misuse in prisons, including through a range of drug testing approaches. In 2021, we undertook a small-scale proof of concept study at 13 prisons to understand wastewaters utility in detecting the presence or absence of illicit substances. Following successful detection in the pilot, we are continuing to test wastewater-based surveillance and its potential in assessing the prevalence of illicit substances in prisons. The evidence base around wastewater-based surveillance is continually developing and so we are working with leading academics and embedding quality assurance into our methods. Prisons continue to have a zero-tolerance culture, and any prisoner suspected of taking illicit substances can still be subjected to a mandatory drug test. As part of the ambitious cross-Government Drug Strategy, we are rolling out a range of interventions to support prisoners off drugs and into recovery, such as doubling the number of Incentivised Substance-Free Living wings and supporting prisoners to engage with community treatment pre-release. We are also committed to tackling the supply of drugs into prison. Our £100m Security Investment Programme completed in March 2022 and delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners, resulting in full coverage across the closed male estate. We have also installed 84 X-ray baggage scanners 49 sites, building on the rollout of our body scanners, drug trace detection machines and metal detection archways.

Prisons: Education

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has spent on the prison education service in financial year 2023-24.

Edward Argar: In 2023-24 to date, we have spent £115 million on education provision. This figure is subject to reconciliation. The forecast education spend for the whole financial year is £160 million.

Prisons: Smuggling

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department collects on the number of items thrown over the walls into prisons.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice does hold data on the number of incidents of items being thrown into prisons, however releasing the method of entry for contraband items is a security risk. Therefore, it cannot be released to answer this PQ. We are committed to tackling all methods of smuggling into prisons, including throwovers. We completed the £100 million Security Investment Programme in March 2022, which included funding to bolster physical security measures. Prisons also conduct perimeter searches based on their Local Security Strategy to address the threat of throwovers, which complement physical barriers such as fencing and netting. Intelligence and information relating to the conveyance of illicit items into prisons is shared routinely with the police and serves to inform and direct operational activity, which in turn drives arrests and prosecutions.

Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection are in category A prisons.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection in category A prisons are categorized as C category prisoners.

Edward Argar: There are 108 prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection are in Category A prisons. There are * prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection in Category A prisons which are categorised as C category prisoners. (*) has been used to suppress values of one or two. This is to prevent the disclosure of individual information.

Knives: Crime

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for (a) selling and (b) supplying knives to those aged under 18 in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Gareth Bacon: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of convictions in England and Wales for the following offences:19522 - Selling a blade to a person aged under 18 years19520 - Summary offences under Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 and Criminal Justice Act 1988These can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and using the HO Offence Code filter to select the above offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool.19520 - Summary offences under the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988’ includes offences related to supplying offensive weapons. However, information on whether these relate to supplying knives specifically or whether they are sold to those aged under 18 is not held centrally in the Court Proceedings database.

Hate Crime: Police Cautions

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to issue guidance to the police on requirements to refer to the Crown Prosecution Service when using the new diversionary caution for hate crime offences.

Gareth Bacon: As set out in the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022, the Government legislated for a reformed two-tier cautions framework in England and Wales. We have consulted on a draft Code of Practice to support future implementation. This covers the use, administration, and scrutiny of Diversionary and Community Cautions. The draft Code of Practice stipulates that a Diversionary or Community Caution may be given for a hate crime case but only once authorisation has been obtained from the Crown Prosecution Service. The draft Code of Practice was put to public consultation from 2 August to 13 October 2023 and invited views on the operational impact of the draft Code, including the approach to excluded offences. Currently, we are analysing the consultation responses received to inform any necessary revisions to the draft Code of Practice and we will publish a Government response to the consultation in due course.

Hate Crime

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people convicted of hate crimes in magistrates' courts were sentenced to undergo a rehabilitative programme in the latest period for which data is available.

Gareth Bacon: We do not centrally hold data on offences motivated by hostility or prejudice towards an individual based on a personal characteristic. This information may be held on court record, however, the information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The latest data on the number of offenders starting a community order or suspended sentence order supervised by the Probation Service with a rehabilitative programme imposed can be found in the Offender Management Statistics quarterly publication here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/653854823099f9000d7f30a4/Probation_Q2_2023.ods.

Treasury

Household Support Fund

Helen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned cessation of the Household Support Fund on the financial status of councils.

Laura Trott: No decisions have been taken on the Household Support Fund (HSF) The Government has provided £842m to Local Authorities in England to deliver the HSF in England over 2023-24, and provided over £2 billion for the HSF since October 2021. This is additional funding given to Local Authorities which has been ringfenced to support households in need with the cost of essentials, such as food or energy and water bills. The Government continues to keep all of its existing programmes under review in the usual way.

Revenue and Customs: Proof of Identity

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what safeguards HMRC has in place to ensure the authenticity of digital signatures on paperwork provided by third-party businesses acting on behalf of their clients in exchanges with HMRC.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC operates a risk-based approach to the verification of signatures upon receipt into their systems. Where there are reasons to doubt that the taxpayer has provided the signature themselves HMRC seeks assurances from the agent, intermediary or taxpayer directly to validate the authorisation and, if required, request further information about the processes that the agent uses to obtain authorisation and/or signatures.

Research: Tax Allowances

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to reduce the (a) time taken and (b) administrative burden for small- and medium-sized businesses to make research and development tax credit claims.

Nigel Huddleston: At Spring Budget 2023 the Government announced a new permanent rate of relief for the most R&D intensive loss-making small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The Government also announced at Autumn Statement 2023 the merging of the current SME and RDEC (Research and Development Expenditure Credit) tax relief schemes from April 2024, simplifying the system and providing greater support for UK companies to drive innovation. Changes were also made reducing the intensity threshold in the R&D intensives scheme from April 2024, allowing around 5,000 extra SMEs to qualify for an enhanced rate of relief. From 8th August 2023 it became mandatory to provide detailed information upfront before submitting an R&D claim, supporting claimants in getting their tax right and reducing the need for HMRC to ask for further information to check claims. HMRC also continues to promote the Advanced Assurance scheme to eligible SMEs (eligibility includes companies with a turnover of below £2 million and less than 50 employees) applying for R&D tax relief for the first time, to give certainty and assure compliance with the R&D tax regime.

Orchestras: Tax Allowances

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of orchestras that will benefit from the extension of the higher rates of relief for the Orchestra Tax Relief announced in the Spring Budget.

Nigel Huddleston: Estimates of the number of orchestras that will benefit from the extension of the higher rates of relief for the Orchestra Tax Relief can be found in HMRC’s Creative Industries Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-statistics-august-2023 (Table 7.1)

State Retirement Pensions

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of people who have indicated that they want to make contributions to fill gaps in their state pension contributions are waiting to be informed of the (a) amount they should pay and (b) code required to make that payment as of 10 January 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: I refer the Honourable Member to the replies given to him on 13th November 2023 (UIN748) and to the Honourable Member for North East Fife on 15th November 2023 (UIN498).

Graduates: Taxation

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many taxpayers are paying the (a) 9% and (b) 6% tuition fee rate on earnings between £22,015 and £27,000.

Nigel Huddleston: The information is not held in the form requested. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does hold information on the number of borrowers by Student Loan plan type but has not split these figures based on the borrowers’ earnings.

Treasury: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Gareth Davies: HM Treasury have not issued any settlement payments for bullying, harassment or discrimination claims for the financial years 2019-2023.

Child Trust Fund: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4137 on Child Trust Fund: Walsall South, what assessment he has made of the reasons for which Child Trust Funds have not been claimed.

Bim Afolami: There could be several reasons why matured Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts have not been accessed by those who are entitled to the funds. The National Audit Office in its report titled Investigation into Child Trust Funds published in March 2023 (www.nao.org.uk/reports/investigation-into-child-trust-funds/) considers some of these. Primary responsibility for communicating with account holders and their registered contact (usually a parent) lies with the CTF account providers. The government is committed to helping people identify and access the savings they are entitled to and continues to explore new routes to reunite young people with their matured CTFs. HMRC actively engages with the industry, other government departments, organisations such as the Money and Pensions Service, and youth focused charities to raise awareness of CTFs amongst young people. HMRC also issues a range of communications and provides resources for key intermediaries such as the University and Colleges Admissions Service, who have greater influence and visibility amongst the CTF audience.

Banks: Livestock Industry

Giles Watling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to prevent banks from providing (a) financial and (b) investment support to industrial livestock companies that contribute to deforestation.

Bim Afolami: The Government is committed to working with UK financial institutions to further tackle deforestation-linked finance. As we set out in the updated Green Finance Strategy, we have begun this work with Government-convened roundtables having commenced in Summer 2023. The global approach on disclosure standards, such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) or the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) is a vital condition for success in improving nature-related disclosure. Following the making of the first relevant regulations under paragraph 1 of Schedule 17 of the Environment Act and as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, HM Treasury will conduct a review to assess the extent to which regulation of the UK financial system is adequate for the purpose of eliminating the financing of illegal deforestation, and to consider what, if any, changes to the regulatory framework may be appropriate.

Debts

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of household debt.

Bim Afolami: The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor levels of household debt and their impacts. The Government remains committed to helping households that are struggling with debt to access the support they need and get their finances back on track. This is why the Government has maintained record levels of funding for MaPS to provide debt advice in England, bringing their debt advice budget to £92.7 million in 2023/24. We have also taken steps to support those on low incomes, who are vulnerable to debt burdens. In response to the energy crisis, the government provided one of the largest support packages in Europe. Total Government support over 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help households with the high cost of living is worth £104 billion – an average of £3,700 per UK household. A House of Commons research briefing on household debt can be found here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02885/

Revenue and Customs: Offices

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average level of occupancy was at HM Revenue and Customs offices in the latest period for which data is available.

Nigel Huddleston: The latest data for HMRC’s headquarters occupancy is published on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data)  HMRC is working closely with the Government Property Agency to ensure that the department’s estate is used efficiently, responding to demand for space in its regional centres. This will improve estates utilisation as well as bringing wider benefits.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Public Relations

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on press and public relations in each financial year since 2019-20.

Alex Burghart: Government departments rightly have an obligation to work with and support the media in their reporting.Like any large organisation, they will employ staff to work with journalists, to help communicate their work and policies to the public.This is primarily carried out by media relations staff employed by departments. Like all areas of government spending - costs are reviewed regularly to ensure value for money.The Government Communications Service works with all central government organisations to ensure that, where taxpayers’ money is being spent on government communications, it is cost-effective and reflects best practices.Cabinet Office spend on press and public relations since 2019-20 are below. These figures represent the departmental spend on the Cabinet Office press office (including pay and relevant contracts): 2019/20: £976,994.112020/21: £1,185,192.912021/22: £1,111,282.002022/23: £1,181,350.41

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of complaints raised with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are rejected for being submitted after more than 12 months.

Alex Burghart: Information on complaints decided by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is set out in its Annual Reports and Accounts, and can be found on page 37 here: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/886%20PHSO%20Annual%20Report%20and%20Accounts%202022-23%20FINAL%20ONLINE.pdf

Import Controls: Inflation

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the data sources used by his Department to estimate the impact on inflation of non-tariff measures under the the border target operating model as 0.2% over three years.

Alex Burghart: The Government’s modelling of the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model has been undertaken through a peer-reviewed econometric model. The data input into the model includes a mix of published and unpublished commercially sensitive data sources. Our estimates on the impact on consumer food price inflation have been developed alongside academics, through a model trusted by organisations across government such as His Majesty’s Treasury. The model can be found here:https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/128070/Final%20Report_Defra_December%202021.pdf?sequence=2 In developing the new Border Target Operating Model, our goal has been to design a modern border with a simplified but effective system of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls. This is a border that optimises the balance between maintaining, or improving, biosecurity, public health and food safety and sets a proportionate approach to controls.

Fujitsu: Contracts

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many government contracts have been awarded to Fujitsu since 2010.

Alex Burghart: This historic information is not held centrally.Details of central government contracts where the contract value is above £12,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Paula Vennells

Paula Barker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the members of the Honours committee that approved the CBE for Paula Vennells in the 2019 New Year Honours list.

Paula Barker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what due diligence checks the Honours committee conducted before Paula Vennells received an award in the 2019 New Year Honours list.

Alex Burghart: Names of honours committee members are published within the Government’s reports on the operation of the honours system, and are a matter of public record.The process relating to individual honours nominations are conducted in confidence. There is an expectation that this remains so, in order to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the honours system. The Government has previously published information relating to routine checks carried out prior to the awarding of honours, which is available online.

Civil Service: Artificial Intelligence

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on productivity in the Civil Service.

Alex Burghart: Government is accelerating AI adoption and seeking to deliver benefits at scale. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor noted that there are significant opportunities presented by making greater use of AI across the public sector. On 20 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced an investment of £5m and the creation of the new ‘Incubator for AI’ (i.AI), an elite team of technical experts at the heart of government, that will help departments to harness the potential of AI to improve lives and the delivery of public services. The Central Digital and Data Office, in the Cabinet Office, is undertaking analysis of its potential opportunities and impact on Civil Service productivity. This includes ongoing work to identify areas for automation of manual processes and uncover efficiency savings in the Civil Service and the wider public sector. I refer the Rt Hon Member for Bournemouth East to my answer on 22nd June 2023 (UIN 190884).

Dominic Cummings

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will publish a list of meetings he held with Dominic Cummings in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Alex Burghart: Since May 2010, the Government has published on gov.uk details of official government meetings with external organisations. In 2011, this was extended to include details of meetings with senior media executives, covering official government, social and political meetings. But otherwise, the Government does not record political meetings. I would observe that since 2016, the Labour Party has stopped publishing its own meeting data on shadow frontbench meetings with senior media executives, breaking a commitment made by the then Labour Party leader (the Rt Hon Member for Doncaster North) during the Leveson Inquiry. The Hon. Member may recall how previous data illustrated his engagement with Evgeny Lebedev (now Lord Lebedev). As a shadow DCMS spokesman, the Hon. Member may wish to raise this subsequent shyness with his Opposition colleagues.

Disability: Departmental Responsibilities

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the length of time it took to appoint a new Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the position of Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work has become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People, Health and Work.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of combining the roles of the (a) Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work and (b) Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression on ministerial capacity.

Alex Burghart: The new Minister for Disabled People has extensive experience of the issues that face disabled people and she will maintain the government’s relentless focus on improving their lives. She has been part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ministerial Team since 2019 and brings a wealth of departmental knowledge. What matters is action and the new Minister for Disabled People will continue to build on the Government’s strong track record of delivering for disabled people.

Internet: Fraud

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many teams within his Department are involved in tackling coordinated inauthentic behaviour online.

Alex Burghart: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is the lead department for tackling coordinated inauthentic behaviour online and works across departments to deliver HMG’s objectives. A number of teams in the Cabinet Office, including the National Security Secretariat and Government Security Group contribute to efforts to tackle different aspects of coordinated inauthentic behaviour online. For example, teams in the Cabinet Office are actively involved where online activity constitutes a cyber or state threat, or targets government institutions or elected officials. Work to counter threats to UK democracy and democratic institutions, including from coordinated inauthentic behaviour is led by the Defending Democracy Taskforce.

Everbridge: Contracts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Everbridge Europe Ltd on 28 November 2023, reference CO-MCP-01-23, if he will publish the services specified in Framework Schedule 4 of that contract.

Alex Burghart: Framework Schedule 4 of the G-Cloud 13 Framework has already been published on Contract Finder.Framework Schedule 4 can be found in Attachment 7 of the documents available at this link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/52e2fd33-e6f3-4a4c-8697-d25ab76ea0a9

Cabinet Office: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

John Glen: The Cabinet Office follows the principles laid out in the Cabinet Office Guidance on Settlement Agreements, Special Severance Payments on Termination of Employment and Confidentiality Clauses which is published on the internet here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d2c7852ed915d2fe7abea6d/Cabinet-Office-guidance-on-settlement-agreements-special-severance-payments-on-termination-of-employment-and-confidentiality-clauses.pdf, and the HM Treasury Guidance on Public Sector Exit payments, which is published on the internet here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60af4ab3d3bf7f737e058da9/SPECIAL_SEVERANCE_GUIDANCE_v3_FINAL.pdf when considering any settlement agreements. The Cabinet Office is unable to ascertain from the data available the specific settlement by individual claims of a) bullying, b) harassment and c) discrimination for the financial years provided. This is due to the interlinked nature of claims, which means that an individual could raise a case that covers several of these areas. The Cabinet Office takes all allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination seriously. Staff are encouraged to raise any concerns through the departmental Dispute or Disciplinary policies to enable swift investigation into concerns raised.

Cabinet Office: Sick Leave

Christine Jardine: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the total number staff days lost to long term sick absences in each Department in each year since 2021.

John Glen: Cabinet Office publishes sickness absence data for the Civil Service on an annual basis on gov.uk. Our preferred measure is Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per staff year which accounts for workforce size and composition. The table below provides the data requested, days lost per department, along with AWDL for context. Data for 2023 are in production for planned publication by end March 2024. Table: Long Term Sickness Absence by Department 2021 and 2022 Organisation20212022DaysAWDLDaysAWDLAttorney General's Departments5,2502.27,1902.9Crown Prosecution Service18,5303.123,5703.7Serious Fraud Office8301.89402.0Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy34,0102.147,1602.5Cabinet Office13,0901.420,7501.9National Savings and Investments3701.91700.9Charity Commission1,3002.7ssDepartment for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities6,8502.07,6702.0Competition and Markets Authority1,1001.48701.0Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport2,6701.34,1101.4Ministry of Defence219,3804.1149,6902.8Department for International Trade3,9600.86,8201.3Department for Education9,5801.320,4102.6Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs19,2101.927,0702.4ESTYN4103.93203.1Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office16,7501.918,8302.3Food Standards Agency3,8502.94,5003.4The Health and Safety Executive7,4403.210,5204.2Department of Health and Social Care20,8802.227,7702.6HM Revenue and Customs189,3603.2243,0403.9HM Treasury2,7701.13,9901.5Home Office109,3603.4148,0804.5Ministry of Justice435,6906.0596,4207.4National Crime Agency10,6402.115,1803.3Northern Ireland Office1400.94202.4Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services & Skills6,5303.69,2705.3Office of Gas and Electricity Markets2,2602.12,6502.1Office of Rail and Road5901.92900.9Scotland Office (incl. Office Advocate General for Scotland)3202.84904.2Scottish Government111,3005.4134,5105.9Department for Transport51,9503.671,2604.9United Kingdom Statistics Authority9,2502.410,0702.2UK Export Finance2500.73400.8UK Supreme Court**2805.2Wales Office2304.41904.1Water Services Regulation Authority5702.42501.0Welsh Government14,5902.820,1103.7Department for Work and Pensions243,2303.3383,3204.5 Notes:Annual Data for year ending 31 March 2021 and 31 March 2022Source – Management InformationDays rounded to nearest 10 days, AWDL rounded to 1 decimal places = suppressed due to data review, * = suppressed due to low countsFor sickness absence publications see https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence

Veterans

Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Minister for Veterans' Affairs last met with the Parliamentary Under Secretary (Minister for Defence, People and Families) to discuss matters relating to veterans.

Johnny Mercer: The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs work collaboratively together to deliver for veterans, as demonstrated by the recent publication of the Government’s response to both the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for Veterans and LGBT Veterans Independent Review. My officials and I continue to meet regularly with the Ministry of Defence to deliver shared priorities, including ramping up delivery of Veterans Cards to ex-service personnel across the country.

Employment: Mental Health

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the definition is of bad nerves.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what medical research supports the concept of bad nerves.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, when the self-reported conditions of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety were added to the Labour Force Survey.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps the ONS takes taken to help participants in the Labour Force Survey distinguish between (a) normal and (b) medical levels of (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, how his Department works with the Department for Work and Pensions to define (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 114.6KB)

Capita Fire and Rescue: Workplace Pensions

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the pensions of Capita Fire and Rescue workers; and what discussions he has had with (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) Capita Fire and Rescue, (c) MyCSP and (d) Unite the Union on that subject.

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent auditor to assess adequacy of the Capita fire and rescue workers pension system.

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the (a) performance, (b) functionality, and (c) coherence of the pension system for Capita fire and rescue workers.

John Glen: The Cabinet Office, acting as the Civil Service Pension Scheme Manager, has met on a number of occasions with representatives of Unite the Union (Unite), Capita Land Services and MyCSP to discuss issues surrounding Pensionable Pay for members of the Defence Fire and Rescue Services that were transferred to Capita Fire and Rescue. Work is currently ongoing towards resolving these issues. The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is supported by a robust governance model that includes audits carried out annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The scheme is also responsible for providing scheme accounts which are fully audited on an annual basis. Alongside this, the scheme is required to implement the legislation for pensions effectively and pay the correct benefits. I am comfortable that the administration of the pension scheme is adequate and robust and that there are effective policies and procedures in place to resolve issues impacting members. To support all employers in performing their duties required for the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme there are several different functions that employers can utilise:Dedicated on-boarding team Guidance and Notifications Employer Training When an employer joins the CSPS, they must complete a legal document called an Admission Agreement (AA) and ensure that the parties comply with their obligations set out in it. The AA is signed in triplicate by the provider, the contracting authority and Cabinet Office. To ensure employers are meeting their requirements we:Internally have:Interface Compliance Model - which reviews the monthly interface quality which is supplied from employers. Capita Fire and Rescue are working with the Scheme Administer to bring their interface up to date. Once this has been completed, a review of all pensions in payment will be completed to ensure that the members are receiving the correct benefits.Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) - The purpose of the AAS is to assist the Cabinet Office’s Accounting Officer, to carry out their responsibilities to the Civil Service Pensions Scheme. It reminds employers of their fundamental roles and responsibilities in relation to the scheme and gives the opportunity to highlight any issues.Employer Engagement Matrix - The Employer Engagement Matrix tracks employer performance and measures against set criteria which are either essential and desirable. This is to provide an overview of several different metrics to identify if employers falling down in their duties. Externally we have:Annual audits carried out by both the Government Internal Audit Agency and the National Audit Office.An independent external company (ITM) has recently carried out a data audit which identified no material concerns.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Migrants

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much revenue the health surcharge for migrants generated in each year from 2018 to 2022 inclusive.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: East Yorkshire

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help increase (a) recruitment and (b) retention of staff in NHS organisations in East Yorkshire constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. It will put the workforce on a sustainable footing for the long term.To boost recruitment, the Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over five years to fund additional education and training places. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching £6.1 billion over the next two years.By significantly expanding domestic education, training and recruitment, we will have more healthcare professionals working in the NHS. This will include more doctors and nurses alongside an expansion in a range of other professions, including more staff working in new roles.The Long Term Workforce Plan also builds on the People Plan, setting out how to improve culture and leadership to ensure that up to 130,000 more staff are retained within the NHS over the next 15 years. This includes ensuring staff can work flexibly, have access to health and wellbeing support, and work in a team that is well led. These interventions apply across staff groups and geographical regions.These recruitment and retention initiatives apply across the country, including in the East Yorkshire constituency.

Streptococcus: Screening

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to the Answers of 20 December 2022 to Question 102798 and of 4 September 2023 to Question 194994 on Streptococcus: Screening, what her planned timetable is to respond to the cluster randomised trial on Group B Streptococcus expected to end on 31 May 2024.

Andrew Stephenson: The clinical and cost-effectiveness of testing for Group B Streptococcus: a cluster randomised trial with economic and acceptability evaluations (GBS3) trial is currently recruiting participants. The trial is currently contracted to complete at the end of May 2024. As with all research funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, we expect findings to be submitted to the Department; in the case of this trial, to the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) hosted by the Department. The UK NSC stands ready to review the findings of this research as soon as the results are shared.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department provided for educational programmes to inform people at high risk of acquiring HIV about PrEP in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department spent on PrEP in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Andrea Leadsom: We know that HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is extremely effective at preventing HIV, and oral PrEP is routinely available in specialist sexual health services (SHSs) since 2020. Routine HIV PrEP services are commissioned by local authorities through the public health grant (PHG) which covers a wide range of public health services, including HIV PrEP and other SHSs. HIV PrEP medication is provided by NHS England and funded through the Department’s overall budget allocation to NHS England. The Department provided £11 million in 2020/21 and more than £23 million in 2021/22 through the PHG for routine commissioning of PrEP services. From 2022/23, funding for PrEP services has been fully included within the PHG. The Department allocated more than £3.4 billion to local authorities in England to fund public health services through the PHG in in 2022/23 and more than £3.5 billion in 2023/24.Individual local authorities decide on spending priorities and commissioning of SHSs, including HIV PrEP services, based on an assessment of local need and the type of services that best suit their population and which may include activities to raise awareness of HIV PrEP.As part of the HIV Action Plan, the Department is investing over £3.5 million from 2021-2024 to deliver HIV Prevention England (HPE), which aims to improve knowledge of HIV, including evidence-based prevention interventions such as PrEP, and reduce stigma within affected communities. HPE is designed to complement locally commissioned prevention activities in areas of high HIV prevalence and for communities at significant risk of HIV.

PHE Reproductive Health, Sexual Health and HIV Innovation Fund

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department has provided for the HIV Innovation Fund in each year since 2015.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department plans to allocate to the Reproductive Health, Sexual Health and HIV Innovation Fund in the 2024-25 financial year.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much her Department has allocated to the Reproductive Health, Sexual Health and HIV Innovation Fund in the 2023-24 financial year.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the findings were of the independent review of the impact of the Sexual Health, Reproductive Health and HIV Innovation Fund.

Andrea Leadsom: The Reproductive Health, Sexual Health and HIV Innovation Fund is a competitive grant scheme first started by Public Health England (PHE) which aimed to encourage local innovation to reduce the impact of HIV and improve sexual and reproductive health in England, with the first four cohorts addressing HIV only. The following table outlines the funding received for the seven cohorts which have taken place since the scheme began:YearFunding (£)2015/2016 (Cohort 1)501,4632016/2017 (Cohort 2)629,8442017/2018 (Cohort 3)574,0302018/2019 (Cohort 4)603,4182019/2020 (Cohort 5)605,1022020/2021 (Cohort 6)301,7642021/2022 (Cohort 7)290,129 Funding was paused for 2022/2023 to allow for the publication of an independent review. In January 2023, Ipsos Mori published the findings from an overarching independent impact evaluation of the Innovation Fund which is available at the following link:https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/impact-evaluation-sexual-health-reproductive-health-and-hiv-innovation-fundNo funding was provided for 2023/2024, and a decision has not yet been made regarding funding for 2024/2025.

Mental Health: Employment

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) full and (b) part time work on (i) bad nerves, (ii) anxiety and (iii) depression in working age adults.

Helen Whately: Research has found strong evidence showing that work is generally good for both physical and mental health and well-being, although this does not distinguish between full-time and part-time work. The research is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c41a540f0b62dffde0df7/hwwb-is-work-good-for-you.pdf

Dementia: Health Services

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of provision of healthcare for people with dementia.

Helen Whately: Everyone with dementia should have access to meaningful care after their diagnosis, along with information on local services and relevant support. The Department has published guidance on what to expect from health and care services following a diagnosis to help patients and their families understand and access the support and services available to them.

Dementia: Health Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what changes have been made to the provision of services for people with dementia in the period since the publication of the guidance by the NHS and the Alzheimer’s Society entitled The dementia guide: Living well after your diagnosis in November 2020.

Helen Whately: Since the publication of the guidance by the National Health Service and the Alzheimer’s Society in November 2020, NHS England is funding an evidence-based improvement project for two trusts in each region, encompassing 14 sites in total, to pilot the Diagnosing Advanced Dementia Mandate tool to improve diagnosis of dementia in care homes and to create an alternative pathway for diagnosing dementia. NHS England is also stepping up and accelerating preparation for the rollout of any potential new treatments, including the establishment of a dedicated programme team for early Alzheimer’s treatments.NHS England's RightCare team is refreshing the RightCare Dementia Scenario which works through the dementia well pathway journey from diagnosing well through to dying well, detailing optimal and sub optimal approaches, with associated costings for each. The RightCare team is also developing a ‘dementia model pathway’.Following publication of the Strategic Framework on 14 August 2023, we are continuing to develop the Major Conditions Strategy, informed by the Call for Evidence and ongoing engagement. This includes dementia as one of the six major conditions. Our intention is to publish the strategy in early 2024.

Ambulance Services: Private Sector

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the amount of money spent by the NHS on private ambulances in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: This information is not collected centrally by the Department.

Alexandra Hospital Redditch

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has established criteria for when it would intervene to require the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board to commission additional services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Helen Whately: The Department does not have any plans to intervene in the commissioning of National Health Service healthcare services undertaken by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory duty to commission most NHS healthcare services for their respective populations in line with their other statutory duties and guidance. The performance of ICBs in the exercise of their functions is assessed, annually, by NHS England. The NHS Oversight Framework describes NHS England’s approach to the oversight of ICBs, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-oversight-framework/

General Practitioners: Standards

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for a non-urgent GP appointment in (a) the UK and (b) North Shropshire constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for a non-urgent GP appointment in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in the latest period for which data is available.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for non-urgent GP appointments in (a) the UK, (b) rural areas and (c) North Shropshire constituency.

Andrea Leadsom: NHS England publishes monthly data on general practice appointments, including the approximate length of time between appointments being booked and taking place, although this is not a proxy for waiting times. There are several factors which can influence the timing of appointments, and it is not possible to estimate the time between the patient’s first attempt to contact their surgery and an appointment.In England, in November 2023, 42.6% of appointments took place on the same day as they were booked, and 82.7% took place within two weeks of booking. In the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, 45% of 257,650 general practitioner appointments in November 2023 occurred on the same day and 83.6% within 14 days. NHS England does not, however, publish appointment data at United Kingdom or constituency level or include information on rurality in this publication.We have set an expectation that everyone who needs an appointment at a general practice should get one within two weeks, with the most urgent patients being seen on the same day.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her planned timetable is for ending the shortage of ADHD medication.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent future shortages of ADHD medication.

Andrew Stephenson: Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.We have well-established processes to manage supply issues and continue to work with the respective manufacturers and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues with ADHD medicine supply in the United Kingdom as soon as possible and to help ensure patients are able to access these medicines in the short and long term.

General Practitioners: Age

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an upper age limit for NHS GPs.

Andrea Leadsom: The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom which sets and enforces the standards all doctors must adhere to. In order to practise medicine in the UK, doctors are required to hold registration with a licence to practise.To maintain their licence to practise, all doctors, regardless of their age, must demonstrate through the GMC's revalidation process that they remain up to date and fit to practise.'There is currently no mandated retirement age for general practices and the Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an upper age limit for NHS GPs.

Dentistry: Migrant Workers

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she had with Cabinet colleagues about improving processing times for dental overseas registration exams.

Andrea Leadsom: The Secretary of State meets regularly with other Cabinet colleagues and ministerial meetings with external organisations are routinely published on GOV.uk. Officials in the Department speak regularly with the General Dental Council (GDC) to discuss the ways in which it can more efficiently deliver the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) whilst maintaining high standards within the dental profession. We welcome the GDC’s recent announcements that it is increasing the number of places available to sit the ORE. The GDC has tripled the number of places on sittings of ORE Part 1 for all sittings from August 2023 to the end of 2024. The GDC has also added an additional sitting of ORE Part 2 in 2024, bringing the total number of sittings up to four. Legislative changes that came into force in March 2023 provide the GDC with more flexibility to improve the way the ORE is run, and we will continue to encourage the GDC to make the best use of these new opportunities.

Eyesight: Health Education

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve public awareness of eye health.

Andrea Leadsom: The NHS.uk website sets out the importance of regular sight tests whilst also providing information about entitlement to free sight tests in the National Health Service. The Department also seeks opportunities to promote the importance of eye health, such as during National Eye Health Week.

Primary Health Care: Pharmacy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with representatives of (a) employed pharmacists and (b) locums on the implementation of the Pharmacy First service.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has received representations from relevant stakeholders on the training of pharmacists and the community pharmacy workforce to deliver the Pharmacy First service.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of training of the community pharmacy workforce on people's ability to access the Pharmacy First services.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) recent progress has been made on the implementation of the Pharmacy First service and (b) steps have been taken to (i) prepare and (ii) train pharmacists and other pharmacy staff to deliver the agreed services under that framework.

Andrea Leadsom: The service proposals, competency requirements and funding arrangements for the Pharmacy First Service were co-developed and agreed with Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the body that has been formed by the sector and recognised by the Secretary of State as the representative for all pharmacy contractors in England.The service will launch in early 2024 and over 90 percent of community pharmacies have now signed up to deliver the service. Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide National Health Service pharmaceutical services and is up to them to provide their staff with the necessary training.A set-up fee will be paid to pharmacies that have signed up to recognise that pharmacy contractors must ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy staff providing the service are competent to do so, which may involve of training. CPE has developed a checklist for both pharmacy owners and pharmacists, including locums, to help them get ready for the service. Contractors are supported by additional resources provided by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education to ensure participating pharmacists are clinically competent to deliver these services safely.

NHS: Drugs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reconstituting her Department's Medicines Supply Team.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department’s medicines supply team has well-established procedures to deal with medicine shortages, whatever the cause, and works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when shortages do arise.

Pharmacy: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has taken recent steps to increase the range of services available in pharmacies in (a) Romford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Havering.

Andrea Leadsom: Pharmacies across England, including in Romford and the London Borough of Havering, can already choose to deliver a wider range of services in the National Health Service including for example providing advice on newly prescribed medicines for long term conditions, blood pressure checks, oral contraception consultations and minor illness referrals from general practitioners (GPs), NHS111 and urgent and emergency care. In early 2024, we will expand this service offer in community pharmacy and launch Pharmacy First which will enable community pharmacists to manage seven common conditions including the supply of prescription-only medicines without a prescription from a GP. The seven conditions are sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Gambling: Safety

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Gambling-related harms evidence review: quantitative analysis, updated on 11 January 2023, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the evidence used in that analysis.

Andrea Leadsom: In September 2019, Public Health England published the Gambling-related harms Evidence Review. No further assessment has been made of the quantitative analysis since its original publication. The Health Survey for England conducted in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2018 was used as the primary dataset for this review and analysis was carried out on this four-year combined and weighted dataset. Information on methods for data collection is available at the following link:http://healthsurvey.hscic.gov.uk/support-guidance/public-health/health-survey-for-england-2018/introduction.aspxIn January 2023, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities published a review and update of the economic and social costs of harms analysis.

Pharmacy: Prescriptions

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of prescriptions were written by pharmacists in the financial year 2022-23.

Andrea Leadsom: The National Health Service does not currently commission prescribing services from community pharmacists but pharmacists working in other NHS settings, including general practices, can prescribe on the NHS.The following table shows the total number of items prescribed in England and the number of items prescribed by pharmacists in 2022:YearTotal items prescribed in EnglandItems prescribed by pharmacistsPercentage of total items prescribed by pharmacists20221,162,723,44440,701,7683.50Source: NHS Business Services AuthorityWe are working on increasing the number of pharmacist prescribers and from 2026 all newly graduated pharmacists will have a prescribing qualification. This year NHS England will pilot how NHS prescribing could work in community pharmacy. Pharmacists in other setting including general practice and hospital already prescribe.

Nitazenes: Misuse

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to tackle increases in the use of nitazenes (a) nationally and (b) in the South East England.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care continues to monitor the use of nitazenes and other synthetic opioids and has taken action to tackle the threat they pose. In July 2023, a National Patient Safety Alert was issued to the National Health Service and others, warning of potent synthetic opioids implicated in heroin overdoses and deaths and actions that local areas should take. The Department of Health and Social Care is a core member of the cross-government Task Force to develop mitigations to the synthetic opioids threat. Membership of the task force also includes the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, National Crime Agency, HM Prisons and Probation Service, Border Force and the police. As part of those mitigations, the Department of Health and Social Care is accelerating its work to expand access to naloxone and developing a drugs surveillance and early warning system.The Government is investing £780 million nationally between 2022/23 and 2024/25 through drug strategy funding to improve drug treatment and recovery systems which will focus on increasing the numbers in treatment for opiate use.In the South East specifically, an additional £43.7 million has been allocated via the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery (SSMTR) Grant and £3.3 million for the Inpatient Detoxification Grant to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems, totalling £47m. The following tables show indicative funding allocations for these grants for each area in the South East:  Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery (SSMTR) Grant2022/232023/242024/25TotalBracknell Forest£144,526£147,375£206,039£497,940Brighton and Hove£1,142,490£1,872,323£3,613,294£6,628,107Buckinghamshire£339,114£345,800£584,638£1,269,552East Sussex£391,085£1,741,085£2,028,218£4,160,388Hampshire£802,715£818,541£1,541,380£3,162,636Isle of Wight£275,155£280,580£417,554£973,290Kent£1,101,719£2,202,986£3,615,400£6,920,105Medway£389,709£418,172£686,277£1,494,159Oxfordshire£622,452£634,724£1,136,228£2,393,403Portsmouth£503,741£825,535£1,593,156£2,922,432Reading£413,221£469,761£770,942£1,653,924Slough£266,434£271,687£277,256£815,378Southampton£654,506£1,072,611£2,069,974£3,797,091Surrey£721,703£735,933£1,500,381£2,958,017West Berkshire£184,055£187,684£220,527£592,265West Sussex£665,692£678,817£1,306,719£2,651,228Windsor and Maidenhead£164,752£168,000£240,617£573,368Wokingham£83,007£84,644£144,184£311,835Total£8,866,076£12,956,258£21,952,784£43,775,118 Inpatient Detoxification Grant2022/232023/242024/25TotalBracknell Forest£13,809£13,809£13,809£41,427Brighton and Hove£96,016£96,016£96,016£288,048Buckinghamshire£44,258£44,258£44,258£132,774East Sussex£72,422£72,422£72,422£217,266Hampshire£121,199£121,199£121,199£363,597Isle of Wight£22,750£22,750£22,750£68,250Kent£167,295£167,295£167,295£501,885Medway£37,006£37,006£37,006£111,018Oxfordshire£96,612£96,612£96,612£289,836Portsmouth£48,132£48,132£48,132£144,396Reading£41,625£41,625£41,625£124,875Slough£23,991£23,991£23,991£71,973Southampton£58,364£58,364£58,364£175,092Surrey£106,099£106,099£106,099£318,297West Berkshire£16,392£16,392£16,392£49,176West Sussex£96,214£96,214£96,214£288,642Windsor and Maidenhead£17,335£17,335£17,335£52,005Wokingham£9,686£9,686£9,686£29,058Total£1,089,205£1,089,205£1,089,205£3,287,837 Further details of funding allocations for individual local authority areas are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extra-funding-for-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-2024-to-2025

General Practitioners: Bureaucracy

Sir Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of administrative tasks which GPs are required to perform.

Sir Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce the workload of GPs.

Andrea Leadsom: The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care, cutting unnecessary burdens on general practitioners (GPs) through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24.In response to feedback from the profession to make incentive schemes more streamlined and focused, the Department has launched a public consultation on incentive schemes in general practice.The expanded primary care teams funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme add extra clinical capacity, helping to reduce the burden on GPs.

Obesity: Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5026 on Obesity: Surgery, how many people are on a waiting list for gastric band surgery; and how many were on a waiting list in January 2021.

Andrew Stephenson: Data covering waiting lists for gastric band surgery in January 2021 is not available. The number of patients waiting for gastric band surgery as of 31 December 2023 was 13.

Nurses

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of the return to practice programme on the number of registered nurses.

Andrew Stephenson: The Return to Practice (RTP) programme, led by NHS England and formerly Health Education England, is available for all nurses and midwives who have allowed their Nursing and Midwifery Council registration to lapse. Since its inception in 2014, the RTP programme has been successful in supporting 9,975 nurse returners through the Higher Education Institution route.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of referrals to NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services waited less than (a) two, (b) four, (c) six and (d) 19 weeks to begin treatment by NHS provider in each quarter between 2021 and 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the counts and proportions of referrals finishing a course of treatment in the quarter who accessed services, which also indicates starting treatment, up to six and 18 weeks after the referral was received:PeriodCount of finishing referrals that accessed services within 6 weeksPercentage of all finishing referrals that accessed services within 6 weeksCount of finishing referrals that accessed services within 18 weeksPercentage of all finishing referrals that accessed services within 18 weeksJanuary-March 2021146,03092.7155,47598.7April-June 2021157,88692.6168,35498.8July-September 2021156,03391.8167,95398.8October-December 2021145,60790.6158,22998.5January-March 2022146,00289.3160,89398.4April-June 2022148,58688.9164,63898.5July-September 2022154,38488.8171,02298.4October-December 2022145,22089.3159,52198.1January-March 2023153,06490.2166,88698.3April-June 2023149,42890.0163,59398.5July-September 2023153,14589.2168,55398.1Source: NHS DigitalNotes:NHS Talking Therapies data are given as a count of patient referrals not patients.A referral has finished a course of treatment in the quarter if the referral ended in the quarter with the patient having at least two attended treatment appointments or Internet Enabled Therapy logs recorded against it.A referral has accessed services when the patient has had their first attended, treatment appointment or an Internet Enabled Therapy log has been recorded for them.Data is taken from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) dataset held by NHS England. NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression is a National Health Service programme implemented in England that offers NICE-approved therapies for treating people with depression or anxiety.Waiting times data at two, four and 19 weeks is not routinely produced. Data is shown for each quarter from January-March 2021 to July-September 2023 which is the latest available quarterly data.

IVF

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that integrated care boards follow NICE guidelines on the number of IVF cycles that should be offered to patients.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Women's Health Strategy for England, published on 30 August 2022, what progress she has made in delivering the ambitions on fertility treatment.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle disparities in access to IVF treatment.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by the Government to tackle barriers to accessing fertility treatment.

Maria Caulfield: Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.The Women’s Health Strategy was published on 20 July 2022 and contained several important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service-funded fertility services. We have set out our long-term ambition to end the postcode lottery in NHS-funded in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guidelines and we expect the review to be published late in 2024.We expect ICBs to be improving their broad offer to fertility patients in anticipation of implementing the new NICE guidelines. As part of the strategy’s commitments, NHS England will be assessing fertility provision across ICBs, with a view to removing non-clinical access criteria and assessing the challenge of implementing the new guidelines.As part of the first-year commitments in the Women’s Health Strategy, the Government published an IVF transparency tool on GOV.UK in July 2023. This tool compiles published ICB policies on their local fertility treatment offer to keep track nationally of implementation progress and inform patients about comparative offers across ICBs.

Hypotension: Older People

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help improve treatment for individuals aged over 65 with low blood pressure.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) treatments and (b) advice provided by the NHS for individuals with low blood pressure.

Andrea Leadsom: The NHS Health Check, offered to eligible people aged between 40 and 74 years old every five years, aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. People can also now have their blood pressure tested in many community pharmacies and over 7,500 pharmacies have delivered nearly two million blood pressure checks in just over two years and we are working with NHS England to expand this service by investing up to £50 million over this and next year. In both services people will be referred to their general practitioner for further assessment and clinical treatment if required, including those with low blood pressure.No assessment of the adequacy of treatments or advice provided by the National Health Service to individuals with low blood pressure is planned.

Tomography

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on establishing imaging networks across the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England has established 22 imaging networks across England, with the aim of securing improved population outcomes and achieving quality patient care and sustainable imaging services. The networks will continue to mature during 2024/5.

Smoking

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, published on 8 November 2023, whether it is her policy to include shisha-based products in these proposals.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, published on 8 November 2023, whether it is her policy to include snuff tobacco products in these proposals.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, published on 8 November 2023, whether it is her policy to include snus tobacco products in these proposals.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation, published on 8 November 2023, whether it is her policy to include vaping products in these proposals.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 3251 on Smoking, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting cigar based products from the proposals.

Andrea Leadsom: Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes approximately one in four cancer deaths. It also costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. That is why we will introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in this parliamentary session to create the first smokefree generation and crack down on youth vaping In October 2023, the Government and devolved administrations launched a public consultation on the smokefree generation and youth vaping. For the smokefree generation policy, where tobacco products would not be sold to those who turned 15 years old or younger this year, the consultation included a question on whether respondents agreed with the proposed approach to mirror the existing age of sale legislation in England and Wales. This included:- cigarettes;- cigarette papers;- hand rolled tobacco;- cigars;- cigarillos;- pipe tobacco;- waterpipe tobacco products, for example, shisha;- chewing tobacco;- heated tobacco;- nasal tobacco; and- herbal smoking products.The consultation response will be published shortly As outlined in command paper published on 4 October 2023, our position is that all tobacco products are harmful, and the evidence is clear that there is no safe level of tobacco consumption. Tobacco smoke from shisha and cigars lead to the same types of diseases as cigarette smoke. Snus is banned in the UK and we have no plans to introduce additional tobacco products to the UK market.Vapes are tobacco-free so outside the proposed scope of the smokefree generation policy. In our consultation, we asked questions about policies which have the potential to reduce the appeal, availability, and affordability of vaping to children. It is clear that vaping is totally unsuitable for children. However, we want to ensure that vapes remain available as a smoking cessation tool for adult smokers given the lesser harms posed to smokers from vaping.

Midwives: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to help ensure that there are sufficient clinical placements of the correct standard for the planned increase in student midwife numbers.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England works with placements providers in all regions to ensure sufficient and high-quality practice-based learning. Over recent years, NHS England, formerly Health Education England, has invested £55 million to increase clinical placement capacity. This is in addition to the provision of placement tariff to support placement providers for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students.As set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we aim to expand the number of midwifery training places from 3,778 to 4,269 by 2028. To support this expansion, NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure placement providers know what core standards they need to meet, supported by national co-design of placements, to provide a strategic view of capacity and support joined up working between the National Health Service and the education sector to ensure the correct standard of training, in the correct volumes and locations.

Midwives: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned rise in student midwife numbers on (a) universities and (b) staff to student ratios.

Maria Caulfield: The supply of core clinical professions in the National Health Service, including midwives, relies on undergraduate degree programmes that are led and delivered by the university sector. As set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, we will work with Higher Education Institutes and system partners, including professional regulators, to plan and deliver the education expansion and reforms set out in the Plan. This includes work to develop an expanded and fully trained supervisory workforce.

Midwives: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was paid from the public purse to (a) NHS trusts and (b) student midwives for clinical placements provided to student midwives in the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: In the previous five financial years, £87 million was paid by NHS England to National Health Service trusts for clinical placements for midwifery students. Travel and accommodation expenses are the only element of financial support provided to students by the Government which specifically supports clinical placements. The total amount of this paid to students undertaking education and training that enables them to register as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the previous five financial years is £6.6 million.

Midwives

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2023 to Question 4873 on Midwives, how many and what proportion of NHS midwives are (a) UK nationals, (b) nationals of an EU member state, (c) nationals of other states and (d) of an unknown nationality in each age category.

Maria Caulfield: The attached table shows detailed information on the headcount of midwives split by specified nationality groups and age band, in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England, between 30 September 2013 to 30 September 2023.All staff within NHS trusts and commissioning bodies provide a self-reported nationality which is recorded on the Electronic Staff Record system. This may reflect an individual’s cultural heritage rather than their country of birth, with some individuals choosing not to specify it.This data includes staff working in hospital trusts and other core organisations, but excludes staff working in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities, and other providers.Midwives by age group and nationality group  (xlsx, 24.5KB)

Dementia: Health Services

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people with dementia will benefit from the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy.

Andrew Stephenson: On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy covering six conditions including dementia. Our Major Conditions Strategy will consider prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care to support people to stay in good health for longer.We published our initial report Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework on 14 August 2023. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy. Following publication of the Strategic Framework, we will continue to develop the strategy, informed by the Call for Evidence and ongoing engagement, including with those with lived experience. Our intention is to publish the Major Conditions Strategy this year.

Midwives: Older Workers

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many midwives working in the NHS were aged (a) 70 to 74, (b) 75 and (c) over the age of 75 years in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England publishes data on the numbers of National Health Service staff by age bands. This data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), the human resources system for the NHS. The data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsHowever, this data does not cover the age bands requested, and so the table below shows the headcount number of midwives working in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England between 70 and 74 years old, 75 years old and over the 75 years old in each of the last five years: Year as of SeptemberSeptember 2019September 2020September 2021September 2022September 2023Total number of midwives26,06226,84026,41826,07527,065Midwives aged 70 to 742223272532Midwives aged 7502023Midwives aged over 7500113Source: NHS England Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce DataNote: The data includes staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations. It excludes staff directly employed in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities, and other providers such as community interest companies and private providers.

Obesity: Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been waiting for (a) gastric band, (b) gastric bypass, (c) sleeve gastrectomy and (d) duodenal switch surgery for over (i) 52 and (ii) 65 weeks.

Andrew Stephenson: As of 31 December 2023, for gastric bypass surgery, the total number waiting over 52 weeks was 87, with 20 of these waiting over 65 weeks. For sleeve gastrectomy, the total number waiting over 52 weeks was 120, with 40 of these waiting over 65 weeks.NHS England is unable to provide the exact number of patients waiting over 52 and 65 weeks for gastric bands and duodenal switch surgery due to disclosure control of small numbers.

Midwives: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of attrition levels on undergraduate midwifery courses; what the main contributing factors for attrition on those courses are; and what steps her Department (a) has taken and (b) is considering taking to help retain students on those courses.

Maria Caulfield: As set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England is working with students, Higher Education Institutions, Royal Colleges and clinical placement providers to understand and address the reasons students leave training and the variation in their experiences. To support students during their training, the Government provides a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year to all eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students through the NHS Learning Support Fund. As of October 2023, there are 23,154 full-time equivalent midwives working in National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. This is 3,541 or 18.1% more than in 2010.

NHS: Agency Workers

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with NHS England on (a) pay and (b) conditions for NHS contractor staff.

Andrew Stephenson: The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with NHS England with regard to NHS contractor staff.NHS contractor staff are employed by independent organisations who are free to develop and adopt the terms and conditions of employment, including pay, that best help them attract and keep the staff that they need.

Radiology: Training

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will take steps to increase central funding for clinical radiology trainee posts.

Andrew Stephenson: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out an aim to double the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32. The plan commits to ensuring a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future.On 10 January 2023, Health Education England, now NHS England, announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for that year, including 100 clinical radiology posts, building on an increase of 110 clinical radiology specialty training posts in 2022.We are set to complete the planned increase in medical specialty training places by September 2024 to more than 2,000 over three years, as well as 1,000 additional specialty training places focusing on areas with the greatest shortages. This expansion is both supporting existing planned growth for mental health, cancer and diagnostic services, as well as elective recovery, urgent and acute care, maternity services and public health medicine.The Department’s budgets for 2024/25, including for radiology trainee posts, will be confirmed in due course.

Neurology

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that all patients with a neurological condition receive support to help (a) manage their condition and (b) prevent their condition from progressing.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England has established the Neuroscience Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically-led programme aimed at improving specialised adult neuroscience services in England and developing a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The Neuroscience Transformation Programme seeks to support commissioners through establishing a ‘what good looks like’ for specialised neuroscience services for a local population.NHS England has also established the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) national programme, which is designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through in-depth, clinically-led review of specialties to examine how things are currently being done and how they could be improved.The GIRFT National Specialty Report on Neurology, published in September 2021, focuses on improving access to care and ensuring services are available close to patients’ homes where feasible. The report highlights differences in how services are delivered and highlights examples of local good practice to improve patient services nationally.To support systems to understand the priorities in neurology care and improve service quality, NHS England has developed the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit. The Toolkit supports improvements to pathways for progressive neurological patients, ensuring that commissioners focus on quicker and more accurate diagnoses and increasing the availability of neurorehabilitation, reablement, and psychosocial support.

Strokes: Botulinum Toxin

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of botulinum toxin treatments for stroke victims in west London.

Andrew Stephenson: All National Health Service providers in North West London Integrated Care Board area, which includes the ‘west London’ area, use botulinum toxin treatments where appropriate and in line with clinical advice.

Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the British Medical Association about the potential impact of the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024 on patient safety.

Andrew Stephenson: Departmental officials have met with the British Medical Association, along with a range of other key stakeholders, in developing the policy behind the Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024.As well as public consultations, throughout the project we have engaged with key stakeholders, including the regulators, the trade unions and professional bodies including the Faculty of Physician Associates and the Association of Anaesthesia Associates. This engagement has been crucial in shaping both our policy intention and the resultant legislation, to ensure that it remains a practical piece of legislation that can be used by the regulators, for the benefit of patient safety and registrants.

NHS: Agency Workers

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to encourage NHS bank staff to remain employed by the NHS in the context of higher rates of pay available through external agencies.

Andrew Stephenson: Most temporary staffing shifts are filled by bank workers with latest available figures for 2022/23 being 76%. Trusts are encouraged to fill workforce gaps through bank workers, including expanding the provision of in-house staff banks, and trusts are working together to improve transparency of pay rates across both bank and agency staff which is helping to reduce costs.Bank rates of pay are set locally to align with agenda for change pay scales. The agency price cap was set to be broadly comparable with the cost of substantive and bank staff, in terms of cost to the National Health Service. While there are instances of agency workers receiving higher pay levels than the price cap, NHS England is supporting trusts to reduce off-framework agency provision and to improve price cap compliance. Trusts are working to improve flexible working opportunities for staff to encourage them towards substantive NHS contracts.

Patient Choice Schemes

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Elective recovery taskforce: implementation plan, published on 4 August 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure equity of access for those unable to use digital platforms.

Andrew Stephenson: In September 2023, NHS England published a framework for action on digital inclusion to help the system design and implement inclusive digital approaches and technologies, including actions to build digital skills and capability among patients and National Health Service staff. This covers all NHS digital platforms. Patients unable to use digital channels will continue to be able to access services via telephone and through face-to-face services.

Mental Health Services: NHS 111

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24, published in July 2019, what progress she has made on achieving 100% coverage of 24/7 age-appropriate crisis care via NHS 111.

Maria Caulfield: The National Health Service is on target to deliver 100% coverage across England of age-appropriate mental health crisis care 24 hours a day, seven days a week via NHS 111 by April 2024. The urgent and emergency care recovery plan reiterated this commitment and timescale. Delivering this commitment will enable anyone experiencing mental health crisis to access age-appropriate assessment and, if appropriate, onward referral and treatment at any time of the day by calling NHS 111 'select mental health option'.In preparation for national launch in April 2024, NHS England asked all systems to transition to offering access to age-appropriate crisis support via NHS 111 ‘select mental health option’. This will act as a soft launch that will flush out and enable automated phone systems to address any issues as and when they occur, before the national launch date.For those with severe needs or in crisis, urgent mental health helplines are already available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all areas of England and currently take approximately 200,000 calls a month.

Junior Doctors: Greater London

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help increase retention levels of junior doctors in west London.

Andrew Stephenson: The NHS People Plan and the People Promise set out a comprehensive range of actions to improve staff retention. They provide a strong focus on creating a more modern, compassionate and inclusive National Health Service culture by strengthening health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, culture and leadership and flexible working.The NHS priorities and operational planning guidance 23/24 has asked systems to refresh their 2022/23 whole system workforce plans to improve staff retention through a systematic focus on all elements of the NHS People Promise.  Staff wellbeing should be strategically aligned with elective recovery plans, including workforce demand and capacity planning.  In addition, the NHS Retention Programme is continuously seeking to understand why staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to support staff to stay whilst keeping them well.The Long Term Workforce Plan builds on the People Plan and sets out how to improve culture and leadership to ensure that up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years. This includes ensuring staff can work flexibly, have access to health and wellbeing support, and work in a team that is well led. These interventions apply across staff groups and geographical regions.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: Sepsis

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of sepsis cases have been identified in (a) children and (b) adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in the last 12 months.

Maria Caulfield: The Department does not hold data on the number of sepsis cases or the proportion of those cases that have been identified in children or adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. However, the National Disease Registration Service in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England, and is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs In 2021, the most recent complete year of data available, 614 patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia were recorded as being admitted to hospital for treatment within the first year of being diagnosed. Of those patients, 49% of children and 51% of adults had at least one recorded diagnosis of sepsis.

Dental Health: Bacterial Diseases and Sepsis

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to increase awareness of the potential impact of oral hygiene on levels of prevalence of (a) sepsis and (b) blood borne bacterial infections that can originate from the mouth.

Maria Caulfield: The control of oral diseases is essential to prevent and manage bacteraemia. Raising awareness of oral health in general can help to reduce the risk of sepsis and infective endocarditis. The latest version of Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities supports dental teams to improve the oral and general health of their patients. The guidance includes advice on how to prevent and treat oral diseases like dental caries and periodontitis, and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-better-oral-health-an-evidence-based-toolkit-for-prevention The UK Health Security Agency coordinates the ‘e-Bug’ health education programme, which aims to promote positive behaviour change amongst children and young people to support infection prevention and control efforts. Oral hygiene features in e-Bug lesson plans aimed at children from ‘early years’ to key stage 2 or equivalent. More information on the programme is available at the following link:https://www.e-bug.eu/ The Government continues to work with the UK Sepsis Trust which plays a pivotal role in influencing public awareness of sepsis through wide ranging campaigns, online resources, and events, including its dental sepsis campaign.

Mental Health: Research

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what medical research the Government has funded into bad nerves.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what medical research the Government has funded into anxiety.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The remit of the NIHR is early translational, that is experimental medicine, clinical and applied health research, and social care research. In 2022/23, the NIHR spent approximately £99 million on research into mental health. In the last 10 years, the NIHR has invested approximately £41.5 million into research specifically focused, or including a focus, on anxiety and/or anxiety disorder. The NIHR is not currently funding any research explicitly focused on ‘bad nerves’. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mental health.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been vaccinated against flu this winter in Romford constituency.

Maria Caulfield: As of 10 January 2024, 27,425 flu vaccinations have been administered to the eligible population in the Romford constituency since the start of the 2023/24 flu campaign.

Alexandra Hospital Redditch

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided recent guidance to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch on publishing information on the services that are provided at its site.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has not recently provided such specific guidance. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the number of people affected by shortages in ADHD medication.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the level of ADHD medication shortages per region.

Andrew Stephenson: The information requested is not held by the Department.

Department of Health and Social Care: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many settlement payments her Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department can confirm that it has made no settlement payments of this nature within the specified timeframe.

Alexandra Hospital Redditch: Children and Maternity Services

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of returning (a) maternity and (b) children's services to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) her Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of returning (i) maternity and (ii) children's services to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch in the context of population (A) trends and (B) needs in the local area.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of (a) maternity and (b) children's services in Redditch.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) her Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the local workforce to provide (i) maternity and (ii) children's services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Andrew Stephenson: The reconfiguration of services is a clinically led local decision following appropriate engagement with patients and stakeholders. There are no plans to change the current configuration of services.There have been significant improvements to children’s and maternity services provided by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since the reconfiguration of services. The presence of consultants for children’s services has increased with reduced reliance on agency locums and the Care Quality Commission has improved the rating for maternity services from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date she was first notified of the possibility of a shortage of ADHD medication.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department was notified of potential shortages for a number of medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in August 2023.

World Health Organization

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much from the public purse the Government spent on the UK's membership subscription to the World Health Organization in 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: The United Kingdom and all Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) pay an annual membership fee known as an assessed contribution. The scale of the contribution is calculated by the United Nations based mainly on the country’s GDP and the contribution is used to fund the WHO’s functions. In 2023, the UK paid £20,241,404 in assessed contributions.

NHS: Agency Workers

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of Unison on (a) levels of pay and (b) employment conditions for NHS contractor staff; and if she will make it her policy to ensure that NHS contractors receive (i) the same (A) levels of pay and (B) employment conditions as their counterparts who are employed directly by the NHS and (ii) are paid at least the living wage recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.

Andrew Stephenson: The Secretary of State has recently met with Unison to hear concerns on pay and conditions. Pay and Employment Conditions specifically for National Health Service contractor staff was not discussed.NHS contractor staff are employed by independent organisations who are free to develop and adopt the terms and conditions of employment, including pay, that best help them attract and keep the staff they need.

Midwives

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS maternity units have not appointed a retention midwife.

Maria Caulfield: We do not hold data on the number of retention midwives in National Health Service maternity units.The midwifery retention programme has been underpinned by the People Promise values which has focussed on early careers, staff experience and late careers. The programme has taken an evidence-based approach to scaling up good practice and continuous improvement through the delivery of an education and learning platform.The Long Term Workforce Plan builds on the People Promise and the People Plan and sets out how to improve culture and leadership to ensure that up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years. This includes: implementing actions from the NHS People Plan that have been shown to be successful; implementing plans to improve flexible opportunities for prospective retirees and delivering the actions needed to modernise the NHS pension scheme; and committing to ongoing national funding for continuing professional development for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals, so NHS staff are supported to meet their full potential.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of the claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccinations received their first vaccine in (a) January to March 2021, (b) April to June 2021 and (c) July to September 2021.

Maria Caulfield: As of 5 January 2024, of the 8778 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, 4658 applications or 53.06% related to a first vaccination received between January and March 2021; 2028 applications or 23.10% related to a first vaccination received between April and June 2021; and 516 applications or 5.88% related to a first vaccination received between July and September 2021.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme for disability caused by the Covid-19 vaccines and (b) applications for mandatory reversals to such claims, have been outstanding for more than (i) 18 months, (ii) 12 months and (iii) six months.

Maria Caulfield: As of 5 January 2024, of the claims submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19, 157 claims have been outstanding for more than 18 months; 341 claims have been outstanding for over 12 months and 1854 claims have been outstanding for over six months. Of these claims, no mandatory reversals have been submitted that have been outstanding for over 18 months; 18 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over 12 months, and 124 mandatory reversal applications have been outstanding for over six months.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Folk Culture: Music

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to promote the English folk music tradition in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Julia Lopez: HM Government has a strong commitment to all forms of music, including folk traditions from around the UK and beyond. This Department’s support for folk music is delivered primarily through Arts Council England, which has engaged with the development of the English folk music scene over recent years.The Arts Council’s primary investment in English folk music is via its National Portfolio. This programme supports organisations like Soundroots (£300,000 per annum) which runs the English Folk Expo (the annual showcase for folk, roots and acoustic music in England), and the English Folk Dance and Song Society (£96,748 per annum), which promotes English folk music and folk dance. In addition, one of Arts Council England’s new Investment Principle Support Organisations, Making Music, also supports a range of folk music ensembles.Arts Council England has also invested £47,803 in music in Romford since 2018 through its National Lottery Project Grants. There have been no successful applications for Arts Council investment in Romford from organisations focused on English folk music, but there is an active folk scene including Haverfolk and the Romford Folk Club as well as the Romford and Brentford Folk Dance group. As these groups meet at public houses in Romford, the venues would be eligible, should they wish, to apply for funding via Arts Council England’s DCMS-supported ‘Supporting Grassroots Music’ programme. These groups could also apply for support via National Lottery Project Grants.HM Government has also announced the intention to ratify the UNESCO 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which could help promote folk music traditions across the UK. A public consultation on the first stage of implementation is running until 29 February.

Arts Council: Worcestershire

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Arts Council has provided in each (a) county and (b) devolved Administration since 2010; and where Worcestershire ranks in this list.

Julia Lopez: Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:National Lottery Project GrantsDeveloping Your Creative PracticeInvestment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)Cultural Recovery FundEmergency Response FundAny funding data prior to the last five years is held by Arts Council England.

Arts Council: Lincolnshire

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has spent in Lincolnshire in each year since 2019.

Julia Lopez: Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in Lincolnshire for each year since 2019.Arts Council England funding to LincolnshireYearFunding Awarded2019/20£ 3,819,5502020/21£ 9,010,8462021/22£ 3,956,4862022/23£ 8,788,7962023/24£ 5,239,420The Arts Council’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to people and organisations across the country to apply to, including those in Lincolnshire.Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding. They are available in the following locations:National Lottery Project GrantsDeveloping Your Creative PracticeInvestment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)Cultural Recovery FundEmergency Response Fund

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many government procurement cards were held by people to make purchases against her Department’s budget as of (a) 31 December 2022, (b) 31 March 2023 and (c) 31 December 2023.

Julia Lopez: Procurement cards assist with the reduction in procurement bureaucracy, boost efficiency, support the Government’s prompt payment initiative for Small and Medium businesses, and help maintain cash flow to suppliers. Controls are in place that limit purchase types and values in line with individual departmental controls, and procurement cards are held by officials, not Ministers or Special Advisers.As of 31 December 2022, the Department had 21 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.As of 31 March 2023, the Department had 23 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.As of 31 December 2023, the Department had 15 government procurement cards held by DCMS colleagues to make purchases against the Department’s budget.

Culture: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ring-fence future public funding for the (a) art, (b) culture and (c) heritage sectors.

Julia Lopez: Future decisions on public funding are a matter for the Chancellor.

Culture: Disability

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what conclusions her Department drew from the pilot survey for young people on cultural activities for children and young people with a disability carried out by her Department in 2023.

Julia Lopez: Data from a pilot survey of young people aged between 10 and 19 will be published later this year.

Arts Council: Redditch

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has spent in Redditch constituency (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Julia Lopez: Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the Redditch constituency since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessor to the current National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.Arts Council England funding to RedditchYearFunding awarded2010/11£ 17,6592011/12None2012/13£ 9,9102013/14None2014/15None2015/16£ 15,8052016/17£ 24,7502017/18£ 14,9902018/19£ 14,8452019/20£ 30,2942020/21£ 881,2812021/22£ 57,9682022/23£ 265,5262023/24£ 397,691Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including to those in the Redditch constituency.Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:National Lottery Project GrantsDeveloping Your Creative PracticeInvestment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)Cultural Recovery FundEmergency Response Fund

Arts Council: Worcestershire

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in Worcestershire (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Julia Lopez: Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in Worcestershire since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.Arts Council England funding to WorcestershireYearFunding awarded2010/11£204,8032011/12£223,0882012/13£1,174,2802013/14£1,254,0082014/15£1,633,1342015/16£1,203,1092016/17£1,424,2432017/18£1,587,3232018/19£5,078,2362019/20£1,610,4292020/21£7,172,0372021/22£2,651,1722022/23£2,212,3302023/24£2,183,777Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including those in Worcestershire.Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:National Lottery Project GrantsDeveloping Your Creative PracticeInvestment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)Cultural Recovery FundEmergency Response Fund

Arts Council: West Midlands

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in the West Midlands (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Julia Lopez: Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the West Midlands since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness. Arts Council England funding to the West MidlandsYearFunding awarded2010/11£ 9,666,0792011/12£ 8,647,9352012/13£ 66,462,1452013/14£ 66,080,8222014/15£ 62,956,0692015/16£ 62,887,7952016/17£ 64,072,5602017/18£ 68,410,9522018/19£ 73,549,3872019/20£ 80,418,1532020/21£ 154,252,2742021/22£ 91,028,4352022/23£ 86,361,0622023/24£ 79,826,119 Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and individuals across the country to apply to, including those in the West Midlands. Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:National Lottery Project GrantsDeveloping Your Creative PracticeInvestment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)Cultural Recovery FundEmergency Response Fund

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: ICT

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answers of 8 December 2023 to Question 2996 and 11 December 2023 to Question 5290, for what reason the information could be provided to Question 2996 but not Question 5290.

Julia Lopez: Question 2996 concerned the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Question 5290 related to the department’s arm’s length bodies (ALBs). It is not a requirement for all public sector organisations to provide legacy IT systems ratings. It is also the case that detailed information held about red-rated systems is sensitive and cannot be disclosed due to security considerations.

Public Libraries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has taken steps to support local authorities to (a) maintain and (b) expand community libraries (i) nationally and (ii) in Romford constituency.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to supporting a sustainable long-term future for public libraries in England.The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all local authorities in England to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. In considering how best to deliver this statutory duty, each local authority is responsible for determining local needs and delivering a modern and efficient library service that meets the requirements of their communities within available resources. Public libraries are funded by local authorities, not central government, and it is for each local authority to determine the model of delivery for its statutory library service.The Arts Council England dataset for libraries indicates that as of 31 December 2022 the statutory library service in Havering consisted of 10 static libraries, all of which were local authority run.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of her Department's Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on places of worship in the West Midlands.

Julia Lopez: The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme was established to provide grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship. A total of 727 claims have been paid out in the West Midlands, worth £2,935,543, since August 2022.

Historic Buildings: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide additional funding for the remediation of buildings on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register in the Borough of Solihull.

Julia Lopez: There are a number of avenues for funding available to historic buildings at risk. Historic England itself offers public funding for sites which are most in need of repair and which, without additional investment, would be at risk of deterioration. The National Lottery Heritage Fund will also factor the Heritage at Risk Register into its assessments of applications for its National Lottery Grants for Heritage.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

JBS

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the has received representations from (a) Global Witness and (b) Ban the Batistas on the Brazilian firm JBS.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO has not received any formal representations from either Global Witness or Ban the Batistas on the Brazilian firm JBS.

Climate Change: Meat

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the participation of (a) JBS Foods and (b) other large meat processing corporations in COP28 on the global climate change debate.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have not made an assessment of the impact JBS Foods and other larger meat processing corporations' participation at the COP28 conference have had on the global climate change debate. The UK worked closely with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidency to ensure COP28 included an unprecedented focus on the need for a transition to sustainable agriculture, which resulted in increased participation by agribusinesses and other stakeholders.

Ukraine: Conscientious Objectors

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on the right to conscientious objection in that country.

Leo Docherty: Decisions about exemptions and other issues relating to compulsory military service in Ukraine are the responsibility of Ukraine. The UK is a co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council resolutions on conscientious objection and encourages all States that have compulsory military service to provide alternatives to military service for conscientious objectors. We also continue to work to encourage all States to protect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief for all.

Spain: British Nationals Abroad

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to hold discussions with his Spanish counterpart on changes to the 90 day short stay rule for British citizens with holiday homes.

Leo Docherty: The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU confirms that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws. British citizens in Spain are treated as third country nationals under the Schengen Borders Code. As such, they are able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to other third countries, in line with existing EU legislation.I [Minister Docherty] engage regularly with my EU counterparts to discuss a range of issues, including on mobility. The Government is focused on the smooth, robust and effective implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Jimmy Lai

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made recent representations to his Chinese counterpart on (a) the naming of the former Consul General to Hong Kong, Andy Heyn, during the trial of Jimmy Lai and (b) the labelling of Bill Browder and Luke de Pulford as co-conspirators in the same proceedings.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for UK diplomatic representation in (a) China and (b) Hong Kong of the naming of a British Consul General in Hong Kong by the prosecution in the trial of Jimmy Lai.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for the Government. The Foreign Secretary has called for his release and has urged the authorities to end their prosecution and repeal the National Security Law. We continue to engage with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on his case and have raised the inclusion of British nationals by the prosecution. UK diplomats carry out their duties overseas in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations.

Roderick Drummond

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 December 2023 to Question HL1234 on Roderick Drummond, whether his Department has sanctioned Mr Drummond following his acceptance of an award from Bahrain on 23 July 2023.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 December 2023 to Question HL1234 on Roderick Drummond, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart on Bahrain on the presentation of an award to the former ambassador on 23 July 2023.

David Rutley: Where a foreign award is conferred without permission, a Head of Mission will not be given permission to formally accept, or wear, the award, but is allowed to retain it. The Minister of State has not made representations to his counterpart on Bahrain on this issue.

Ecuador: Emergency Powers

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has taken steps to support his Ecuadorian counterpart in the context of the recently declared state of emergency in that country.

David Rutley: We are carefully monitoring developments in Ecuador following recent security incidents and the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency. We are in close contact with the Ecuadorean authorities in both Quito and London. We have been clear in our discussions that we will continue to support Ecuador in its fight against serious organised crime and the maintenance of law and order.

Jerusalem: Cultural Heritage

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the situation in the Cows Garden site of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have not held discussions with Israeli counterparts on the situation in the Cow Garden site of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. The UK is monitoring the situation and are clear on the need to avoid any further rise in tensions. The UK's position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and an advocate for the integrity of cultural important areas to be respected. The UK continues to take a strong stance against settler violence, and urges Israel to take stronger action to stop settler violence and hold the perpetrators accountable.

British National (Overseas): Pensions

Catherine West: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his international counterparts on the withholding of mandatory provident funds in Hong Kong from British National (Overseas) passport holders.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British Nationals (Overseas) Visa (BN(O)) route are having difficulties in accessing their pensions held in the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF). The root of the problem is the Chinese Government's decision not to recognise the BN(O) passport. We continue to urge the Hong Kong authorities to facilitate early drawdown of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently. I raised this issue with the Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury on 18 April 2023 and pressed for a pragmatic solution. The Investment Minister, Lord Johnson, raised the matter with Hong Kong's Commercial Secretary, during his visit to Hong Kong in May 2023.

Sudan: Food Supply

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the World Food Programme statement entitled WFP warns that hunger catastrophe looms in conflict hit Sudan without urgent food assistance, published on 13 December 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The conflict is having a devastating impact on the Sudanese people, with 24.8 million in need of assistance. The UK is providing £36 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan in 2023/2024. We are also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to South Sudan, this includes a £3.5 million allocation for food security in the Maban refugee camps, and £15 million to Chad. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access in Sudan. We are working with the UN, other donors and humanitarian agencies to coordinate the effective delivery of aid. This includes putting pressure on parties to abide by their commitments under International Humanitarian Law and to allow lifesaving humanitarian aid to reach the Sudanese people.

Bangladesh: Elections

Catherine West: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the integrity of elections in Bangladesh.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The United Kingdom notes the results of the Bangladesh Election, on 7 January 2024. Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process. These standards were not consistently met during the election period. We are concerned at the significant number of arrests of opposition party members before polling day. The acts of intimidation and violence that took place prior to and during the campaign period are unacceptable. Not all political parties took part in the elections. The Bangladeshi people did not therefore have the fullest range of voting options. We encourage all political parties to address their differences and find a common way forward in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Internally Displaced People

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Project Update by Medicins Sans Frontieres entitled Massive needs everywhere as displacement reaches unprecedented levels in DRC, published 20 December 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We agree with Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) that The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing one of the most serious humanitarian emergencies in the world. DRC has a record total of 7 million internally displaced people, over 500,000 of these in the last two months, the majority of which are living in unacceptable conditions. We also encourage the Government of DRC to deliver leadership on tackling sexual and gender-based violence and are working to deliver a more robust humanitarian response. The UK will continue to support this effort, including through our £98 million 3-year humanitarian programme for the East of DRC, which delivers life-saving emergency assistance and protects and builds the resilience of the most vulnerable, especially women and girls.

Syria: Development Aid

Derek Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help support (a) victims of violence, (b) protesters, (c) detainees and (d) missing persons in Syria.

David Rutley: The UK continues to draw international attention to Syria at the UN Security Council, condemning human rights violations, the deepening humanitarian crisis, and the use of violence and torture against peaceful protestors and detainees. The UK welcomes the 29 June 2023 UN General Assembly resolution, which established the Independent Institution on Missing Persons (IIMP). The IIMP will seek to clarify the fate and location of missing persons and support survivors. Since 2012, the UK has contributed over £14 million to support Syrian and international efforts to gather evidence of human rights abuses and violations and hold those responsible to account.

Israel: Gaza

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the case launched against Israel at the UN's international court of justice by the Republic of South Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We do not believe this case is a particularly helpful development or will contribute to a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians. We recognise that Israel has the right to take necessary and proportionate action in self-defence against Hamas, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.But as I [Minister Mitchell] said on 8 December in Parliament, we respect the independence of the International Court of Justice.

Gaza: Internally Displaced People

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps he is taking to prevent the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We maintain a continuous dialogue with Israel on the humanitarian situation, including in relation to the displacement of Palestinian civilians. About 1.9 million people in Gaza, or nearly 85% of the population, are estimated to be internally displaced. However, obtaining an accurate count is challenging, especially given difficulties in tracking Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying with host families, movement of IDPs following evacuation orders and access restrictions. The UK firmly rejects any suggestion of the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Department for Education

Students: Hearing Impairment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide support for deaf students.

David Johnston: The department’s ambition is for all children and young people, no matter what their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is creating a new single national SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) system for how needs are identified and met across education, health and care (EHC). This new single national system will set standards on what support should be made available in mainstream settings, including for children with hearing impairments, as well as guidance on when an EHC plan is required, and when specialist provision, including AP, is most appropriate for meeting a child or young person’s needs.The department is committed to ensuring a steady supply of teachers of children with hearing impairments in both specialist and mainstream settings. To teach a class of pupils with hearing impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification (MQSI). There are currently six providers of the MQSI, with a seventh from September 2024. In addition, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is developing a new occupational standard for teachers of sensory impairment, expected to launch in 2025.In addition, on 21 December 2023 the government published final subject content for a GCSE in British Sign Language. Exam board specifications should be available in 2025.The department recognises that meeting needs in mainstream settings will not be appropriate for all children and young people, which is why the department has invested £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND, as well as those who require AP. Funding for those with complex needs is also rising to £10.5 billion in 2024/25, an increase of over 60 per cent since 2019/20.

Childcare: Special Educational Needs

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children in early years settings for whom Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding payments were being made on 31 December 2023.

David Johnston: Local authorities establish Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funds (SENIFs) locally, using funding from the early years and high needs blocks of their Dedicated Schools Grant allocation.The department does not hold information relating to the SENIF at this level.The department requires all local authorities to submit their planned early years spending on funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, including on SENIFs, annually via their Section 251 budget statement returns, and publishes tools which allow analysis of that data. For the 2023/24 financial year, total planned spending on SENIFs, as reported by local authorities, is £88,316,241.

Department for Education: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many settlement payments her Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Damian Hinds: The table below shows the number of settlement payments the department has made following claims of bullying, harassment and/or discrimination for the last four financial years. 2019/202020/212021/222022/23Bullying0000Harassment0000Discrimination0000

Students: Mental Health Services

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides for education settings to help students experiencing (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on students who self report (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

David Johnston: The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.

Academies: Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that private finance initiative contracts are not used to prevent the statutory academisation of schools following relevant inspection findings.

Damian Hinds: The department routinely works with local authorities to address issues which arise in the context of the academisation of private finance schools.Officials are happy to work with the hon. Member to address any specific cases you may wish to discuss.

Foster Care: Ethnic Groups

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Streatham and Barnardo's to discuss developing a Black foster care network.

David Johnston: I refer the hon. Member for Streatham to the answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8232: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-05/8232.

Academies: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council’s PFI academisation process.

Damian Hinds: The department can confirm that officials are already engaged with the local authority and are providing assistance with the issues affecting the academisation process in the borough.

Childcare

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the (a) postcode of and (b) number of places provided by each Ofsted registered childcare provider.

David Johnston: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Schools: Defibrillators

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on ensuring that schools in Solihull constituency have defibrillators.

Damian Hinds: On 26 July 2023, the department announced that the Automated External Defibrillator programme had successfully completed the rollout of over 20,000 defibrillators to almost 18,000 schools, ensuring that all stand-funded schools in England have access to this life saving first-aid equipment, this includes schools in Solihull. More information about this programme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-children-get-access-to-life-saving-defibrillators.

Special Educational Needs: Cerebral Palsy

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan does not make specific reference to (a) cerebral palsy and (b) physical disability; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with cerebral palsy are not overlooked by the SEND and alternative provision implementation board.

David Johnston: The department wants all children and young people to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan is designed to support all children, rather than being restricted to specific conditions, and to meet those needs within a fair and financially sustainable system, by improving national consistency. This will mean that the right support is provided in the right place at the right time for children and young people with SEND.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to make sure any child or young person who has Special Educational Needs, including those with cerebral palsy and physical disabilities, gets the special educational provision they need. Alongside this, all schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

Schools: Grants

Vicky Ford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in Chelmsford constituency received school improvement grants in (a) 2010-2017 and (b) 2017-2023; how many grants were received in each period; and what the total amount for each school was in each period.

Damian Hinds: Departmental records show that between 2010 and 2017 five schools in Chelmsford constituency received or benefited from specific school improvement grants, and between 2017 and the end of December 2023 ten schools received or benefited from specific school improvement grants.The following grants have been included in this analysis:Regional Academy Growth Fund (RAGF) 2016/17Multi-academy Trust Development and Improvement Fund (MDIF) 2018/19Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) - 2019 to dateStrategic School Improvement Capital Budget (SSICB) - 2016 to dateEnvironmental Improvement Grant (EIG) - 2016 to dateEmergency Strategic Improvement Fund (ESIF) - 2017 to dateSchool Improvement offer (SI) - 2018 to 2020Trust and School Improvement offer (TSI) – 2021 to date.The department has also included grants allocated for sponsored academy conversions (2010 to date), as well as grants for transferring academies between trusts (2012 to date) because these grants may include elements for school improvement activities.The department has limited this analysis to these grants as they can be quantified for some of the time periods requested. The department's policy of retaining financial records for seven years limits access to data before the 2016/17 financial year. Other department grants may contribute less directly to wider school improvement. In addition, many of these and other grants are allocated via academy trusts or other organisations, and so schools may benefit indirectly without being the designated recipient from department. Finally, not all grant programs have been operational throughout the entire period between 2010 and 2023.For a summary of the grants awarded, and for relevant school-level data, please refer to the tables below:Table 1: Summary of school improvement grants paid for supporting schools in Chelmsford constituency.  Number of institutions in receipt of a school improvement grant and their total valueGrant programme(a) 2010 to 2017(b) 2017to2023 (to end December 2023)Regional Academy Growth Fund**RAGF 2016-2017 2 trusts each with 1 school in Chelmsford*N/AMulti-academy Trust Development and Improvement Fund**N/A*2 trusts, one with 2 schools and 1 with 1 school in Chelmsford*Trust Capacity Fund **N/A*1 trust with 2 schools in Chelmsford*Strategic School Improvement Capital BudgetN/A* 2010-2017 None – 2016-17NoneEnvironmental Improvement GrantNone for 2016-17.  Records not available prior to 2016-17.NoneEmergency Strategic Improvement FundN/A as fund started in 2017-18NoneSponsored conversions to academy status3 academies, totalling £210,000NoneTransfer of an academyNoneNoneSchool Improvement OfferN/A*1 school, totalling £1,800Trust and School Improvement offerN/A*4 schools, totalling £16,800 * Grant programme not operating during this period.** The RAGF, MDIF, and TCAF funds support growth in the capacity of academy trusts to oversee academies. Funding is allocated to trusts, and available data only reflects the total amounts received at the trust level. We are unable to attribute specific portions of the funding awarded under the RAGF, MDIF or TCaF programmes to individual school improvement efforts within any given trust or locality.  Table 2: Value of school improvement grants awarded where it is possible to identify a value attributable to the Chelmsford constituency. Name of school or trustGrant nameYear funding allocated or first payment madeAmount paid or allocatedMelbourne Park Primary and Nursery SchoolPre-opening sponsored grant2014£70,000Meadgate Primary SchoolPre-opening sponsored grant2013£70,000Larkrise Primary SchoolPre-opening sponsored grant2016£70,000Newlands Spring Primary SchoolSchool Improvement Offer Tier 12019£1,800South Essex Academy TrustTrust and School Improvement Offer2022£3,000Bridge Academy TrustTrust and School Improvement Offer2022£1,800The Chelmsford Learning PartnershipTrust and School Improvement Offer2023£6,000Attain Academy PartnershipTrust and School Improvement Offer2023£6,000

Special Educational Needs: Cerebral Palsy

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with cerebral palsy in (a) Bootle constituency and (b) England and Wales have been assigned education, health and care plans.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children with cerebral palsy attend mainstream schools.

David Johnston: The department’s ambition is for all children and young people, no matter what their Special Educational Need (SEN), to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department wants them to achieve well in early years, at school (whether mainstream or special), in further education and to live more fulfilling and independent adult lives with improved employment outcomes. The department is creating a new single national SEN and disability system in England for how needs are identified and met across education, health and care, including for those with cerebral palsy.The department does not hold the data requested.The department collects data from schools in England on pupils with SEN, but type of need is held according to the categories specified in the school census.

Children in Care: Racial Discrimination

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate and Barnardo’s to discuss how local authorities can work with partners to prevent the over-criminalisation of Black children in the care system.

David Johnston: We recognise that children in care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have contact with the criminal justice system. That is why we published a joint national protocol with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in 2018 on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-protocol-on-reducing-criminalisation-of-looked-after-children. The protocol was produced with the input of local authority representatives, and other partners. Since the publication of the protocol, the proportion of children in care aged 10-17 who are charged with an offence or receive a caution has reduced from 3% in 2019 to 2% in 2023. Latest data for year ending March 2023 also show that 3% of care leavers age 19-21 were in custody. This figure has remained the same for the last 5 years.We are also taking action on risk factors that can lead to criminal behaviour including through our work to improve school attendance.Through the care leaver Ministerial Board, we are working closely with MoJ to improve support and outcomes of care-experienced people in the criminal justice system.The MoJ is currently updating its strategy for people with care experience in the criminal justice system, to ensure that their time in the criminal justice system is used to support them to lead crime-free lives. The strategy will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience, and will link to wider departmental efforts to address racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system. The MoJ are aiming to publish this strategy in 2024.

Social Services: Ethnic Groups

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Streatham and Barnardo’s to discuss how local authorities can work with partners to prevent the over-criminalisation of Black children in the care system.

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with Barnardo’s to discuss how local authorities can work with partners to prevent the over-criminalisation of Black children in the care system.

David Johnston: I refer the hon. Member for Streatham and the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside to the answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8094: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-05/8094.

Children in Care: Racial Discrimination

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate and Barnardo’s to discuss developing a Black Foster Care Network to improve the experiences of Black children in care.

David Johnston: I refer the hon. Member for Enfield Southgate to the answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8232: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-05/8232.

Students: Debts

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will have discussions with the Student Loan Company on the cancellation of student debt when a provider's course is deemed insufficient to meet the requirements to issue a qualification.

Robert Halfon: The department tries to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, benefit from high-quality, world-leading higher education (HE) that leads to excellent outcomes. All HE providers will also have in place procedures for handling student complaints and academic appeals. If a student exhausts the internal university procedures and is not satisfied with the final outcome, they can contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education. More details can be found using the following link: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/students/how-to-complain-to-us/.The Student Loans Company (SLC) will cancel a student loan borrower's liability to repay a loan in limited circumstances. These include; when the loan term ends, when the borrower dies, and if the borrower receives a disability-related benefit and because of the disability is permanently unfit for work. The SLC has no power to cancel student loans in other circumstances.

Journalism: Cerebral Palsy and Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the National Council for the Training of Journalists on the potential impact of the requirement for a shorthand proficiency of 100 words per minute to achieve the National Qualification in Journalism on (a) disabled people and (b) people with cerebral palsy.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with (a) newspapers and (b) other media organisations on the potential impact of shorthand proficiency requirements for journalism-related jobs on (a) disabled people and (b) people with (i) cerebral palsy and (ii) disabilities related to fine motor function.

Robert Halfon: The department has not discussed the impact of the requirements needed for the National Qualification in journalism with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), newspapers or other media organisations. Higher education (HE) courses are designed and delivered by individual institutions, such as universities and colleges, according to their own academic standards and quality assurance processes. The government does not have a direct role in the development of the HE curriculum or the content of the courses. The government's role is to provide a regulatory framework for HE in England, which aims to protect the interests of students.The government recognises that shorthand is a valuable skill for journalists, and that the NCJT sets the industry standard for journalism training and qualifications. The department acknowledges that some disabled people may face difficulties or barriers in acquiring or demonstrating shorthand proficiency, and that this may affect their access to and progression in the journalism profession.The department wants to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds can study at universities.Under the Equality Act 2010 and Disability Discrimination Act, universities have the same responsibilities as all other service providers. Universities must make reasonable adjustments to make sure students with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged.

Special Educational Needs

Jo Gideon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the SEND in the Specialists coalition on the specialist workforce for children and young people with SEND; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

David Johnston: The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, set out that the Department for Education will work with the Department of Health and Social Care to take a joint approach to SEND workforce planning, and a steering group has now been established to oversee this work.As part of the steering group for joint SEND workforce planning, officials are working closely with the SEND in the specialists coalition to seek their views and have regular meetings with representatives from the coalition to gain sector insight and collaborate on ongoing policy work. On the 14 November 2023, officials from the Department for Education attended a coalition meeting where they presented ongoing policy work relating to SEND Practitioner Standards and introduced the department’s new ‘Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools’ (PINS) programme. Officials have taken on board the coalition’s feedback, and that of other stakeholders they have engaged with, in the development of products and guidance to support the delivery of the programmes. In addition to engagement at official level, the former Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing met with the representatives from the coalition last year, and the minister looks forward to continuing these important discussions when he meets with members in the coming months. The department will continue to engage and work together with a range of stakeholders to discuss ways in which we can improve access to the specialist workforce for the many children and young people who need support.

Schools: Equality

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote inclusivity in schools, (b) assist (i) schools and (ii) teachers to provide support for children with special educational needs and disabilities and (c) reduce exclusions of such children.

David Johnston: The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan set out a vision for an inclusive system categorised by high-quality mainstream provision where children and young people have their needs identified early and can access prompt, evidence-based, targeted support. Alongside this, the department will improve access to timely, high-quality specialist provision, where this is appropriate for the child or young person.High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. To support all teachers, the department is implementing teacher training reforms which begins with initial teacher training and continues into early career teaching, through to middle and senior leadership. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.Reaching over 70% of schools and further education colleges, the Universal Services programme will help the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively.The department knows that if needs and behaviours that present a barrier to learning were addressed earlier, more children could be supported to thrive in their mainstream school. That is why the department’s reforms will see AP settings working closely in partnership with mainstream schools to provide high-quality targeted support and one-to-one interventions. This will build capacity in mainstream schools to identify and support needs early, reducing the numbers of preventable exclusions and expensive long-term placements, as well as lead to improvements in children’s wellbeing and outcomes.Good behaviour in schools is essential to ensure that all pupils can benefit from the opportunities provided by education. The government supports head teachers in using suspension and permanent exclusion as a sanction where warranted as part of creating calm, safe and supportive environments where both pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected.The government agrees with the Timpson Review of school exclusion conclusion that there is no ‘right’ number of exclusions, but the department is clear that permanent exclusion should only be used as and when absolutely necessary, as a last resort and this should not mean exclusion from education.All decisions to exclude a pupil must be lawful, reasonable, and fair. The Behaviour in Schools guidance and the updated statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance (2023) sets out that, when considering excluding a pupil, schools should consider any contributing factors that are identified after an incident of misbehaviour has occurred, which could include where the pupil has Special Educational Needs. Initial intervention measures should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEND that a pupil may have.

Special Educational Needs: Qualifications

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities have adequate educational support to achieve (a) GCSEs and (b) other qualifications.

David Johnston: The department wants all children and young people to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) gets the special educational provision they need. This includes monitoring the progress of children and young people ahead of formal examinations and providing support where needed, including arranging diagnostic tests where appropriate.Access arrangements can be agreed with exam boards before an assessment for candidates with specific needs, including SEND, to help them access assessments to show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment. The intention behind an access arrangement is to meet the needs of an individual candidate without affecting the integrity of the assessment.​​The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or equivalent for a school or college must lead on the access arrangements process, fully supported by teaching staff and members of the senior leadership team. SENCos are responsible for taking appropriate steps to gather an appropriate picture of need, demonstrate normal ways of working for candidates, and ensure that approved access arrangements are put in place for internal school tests, mock examinations and examinations.

Special Educational Needs: Sign Language

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of education health and care plans included funding for courses in British Sign Language in each of the last five years.

David Johnston: The department does not hold the data requested.The department collects data from local authorities on the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, but this does not include information on any specific education courses that are included in EHC plans.

Foster Care: Ethnic Groups

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with Barnardo’s to discuss developing a Black Foster Care Network to improve the experiences of Black children in care.

David Johnston: The government would like to see people from all backgrounds feel able to come forward to foster, whatever their ethnicity, sexuality, gender or relationship status.Children should be cared for in a way that recognises and respects their identity and carers should be given the training and support they need to meet the child’s needs.The department considers charity sector colleagues to be key stakeholders in work taking place across the department, including on children’s social care reform as outlined in ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’. The department regularly engage the Chief Executive and Policy Leads from Barnardo’s on children’s social care policy (as well as their counterparts at Action for Children, The Children’s Society, National Children’s Bureau and NSPCC). The charity sector is also represented in a variety of reference groups on specific aspects of children’s social care policy.The department will engage with foster carer representative bodies to see how black foster carers can be further supported, including considering developing a Black Foster Care Network.

Social Services: Children

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the privatisation of children's social care on the quality of service provision.

David Johnston: Children's homes provide care for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the country. There are many different types of providers who operate in this sector, playing a vital role in providing homes for children in care. Ofsted has a crucial role to play in upholding children’s social care standards and making sure children are safe in care. They provide independent evaluations on the quality of support, safeguarding, and leadership in children’s social care to ensure all children in need receive the services they need. The proportion of children’s homes of all types judged outstanding or good was 79% as of 31 March 2023 (10% outstanding, 69% good), an increase from 2022, when the proportion was 77%.Local authorities have a statutory duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989 to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care. Local authorities are sometimes paying too much for placements, and the department’s view is it is not right that council taxpayers are footing the bill. The department recognises the concerns particularly around large providers with complex, and sometimes opaque, ownership structures. There is an awareness that a provider exiting the market could have a significant impact on the care of children and young people living in their provision, and it is not a desirable position to be waiting for this to happen. The department is developing a financial oversight regime to bring greater transparency, for example on ownership, debt structures and profit making, and prevent sudden market exit across both independent fostering agencies and residential children’s homes.​Support is being provided to local authorities to meet their statutory duties through £259 million capital funding over this Parliament to maintain capacity and expand provision in both secure and open children’s homes. To support local authorities with forecasting of demand for and supply of children’s social care placements in their area, the department is also seeking to deliver national support with forecasting, procurement and market shaping to local authorities. Lastly, the department has committed to developing a core overarching set of Standards of Care for fostering, children’s homes and supported accommodation. This will help simplify the regulatory landscape, raise quality, and ensure there are consistent safeguards across different types of settings.

Sign Language: Training

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve pre-school communication for deaf children (a) in early years settings and (b) between family members.

David Johnston: The department wants every child to receive a high standard of early education and we are committed to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including in early years.The early years foundation stage statutory framework states that all providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND, including deaf children. Maintained schools, maintained nursery schools and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard to the SEND code of practice.The government is also investing approximately £300 million to enable 75 local authorities to create family hubs, and to improve vital services to give every baby the best start in life, including those with SEND. Staff in family hubs should be knowledgeable about SEND services and be able to connect families to appropriate support and services. SEND information advice and support may be physically located within the hub buildings, and should be in an accessible format, addressing wider accessibility needs. Staff can make referrals to appropriate services within the hub network and make families aware of education, health and care request procedure.Family hubs provide services for children of all ages (0-19 or 0-25 for families with children who have SEND), with a great start for life offer at their core. Family hubs are a way of joining up locally to improve access to services, the connections between families, professionals, services, and providers, and prioritise strengthening the relationships. On 10 January 2024, the government announced that every one of the 75 local authorities in the family hubs and start for life programme have now opened family hubs, creating a welcoming place where families with children aged 0-19, or 25 with SEND, can be connected to a wide range of services for families.It is important that the government leads by example. The duties in the British sign language (BSL) Act encourage government departments to improve how they communicate with and meet the needs of the deaf community. The department is keen to ensure that every department is aware of, and understands, the legal requirements of the BSL Act. The department is also keen that, from one reporting period to the next, every department can show a steady and significant improvement in their use of BSL.

Education: Mental Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to mental health professionals across (a) primary school, (b) secondary school and (c) further education.

David Johnston: The mental health of children and young people is a priority for this government and schools play a vital role in this, particularly by providing calm, safe and supportive learning environments.To expand access to early mental health support in and around schools and colleges, the department is continuing to roll out Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). These teams include trained professionals who can deliver evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health issues and liaise with external specialist services to get children and young people the right timely support and stay in education. As of April 2023, MHSTs covered 35% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. The department is extending coverage of MHSTs to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.The department is also continuing to offer primary schools, secondary schools and colleges a grant to train senior mental health leads who can put in place effective whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. This training covers how to ensure children and young people can get timely and appropriate support, including by working in partnership with and making effective referrals to local service providers and mental health professionals. 14,400 settings have claimed a grant up to 31 August 2023, including more than 7 in 10 state-funded secondary schools.Schools and colleges are best placed to decide what pastoral support to put in place to meet the needs of their pupils. To support them in doing so, the department has commissioned a new targeted mental wellbeing toolkit, which launched just before Christmas. This practical guide and tool is designed to help schools and colleges identify and embed the most effective targeted support options for their setting, including how to access mental health professionals. It is available at: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/targeted-support/.

Schools: Physical Education

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to instruct schools to provide children with at least two hours of physical activity per week.

Damian Hinds: The department does not prescribe the time allocated to individual subjects; it is for schools to decide how much time is spent on any subject. The updated School Sport and Activity Action Plan published in July 2023 does however, set out that two hours of PE is the expectation for schools to be able to demonstrate that they are providing a good minimum amount of PE time. The department plans to publish non-statutory guidance early this year to illustrate the practical steps taken by schools to provide two hours of PE and equal access for girls and boys.The government’s Get Active strategy published in August 2023 also provides a blueprint for how a system wide approach including schools can get 1 million more children meeting the Chief Medial Officers’ daily recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Schools: Discipline

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the discipline guidance for schools to include the creation of more therapeutic educational environments.

Damian Hinds: In July 2022, the Department for Education published the updated ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, which is the primary source of help and support for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy that can create a school culture with high expectations of behaviour.Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disability they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.

Curriculum

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the diversity of the content of the national curriculum on levels of engagement with education.

Damian Hinds: The department wants all children to be inspired, confident and motivated at school. The curriculum achieves this by fostering competence and mastery in each subject and inspires pupils by introducing them to the best that has been thought and said, opening access to their intellectual, cultural and scientific inheritance.Providing every child with a broad, ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum is essential to the task of spreading opportunity and levelling up. In turn, this ensures that pupils are equipped with the vital knowledge and skills they need to contribute to society and for their future careers. It is important that every school has a well-designed and well-sequenced curriculum which ensures children acquire knowledge in a broad range of subjects and prepares them, after the age of 16, to specialise and succeed in further and higher education or training.The department knows that improving school attendance is vitally important to learning, wellbeing and safety, but that the barriers to attendance are complex and can often start beyond the school gate. The department remains committed to ensuring children are supported to attend school regularly, and school attendance is the Secretary of State’s top priority. That is why, this month, the department has expanded attendance hubs, supporting 1,000 additional schools, and invested £15 million to expand the attendance mentor programme. Securing good attendance cannot be seen in isolation, and effective practices for improvement involve close interaction with schools’ efforts on curriculum.

Pupils: Mental Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of school behaviour policies on the mental health of students who (a) have mental health needs and (b) are neurodivergent.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of school behaviour policies on levels of school refusal among children.

Damian Hinds: The department does not collect data on the impact of behaviour policies on pupils who have mental health needs or are neurodivergent, or those who are absent from school.In July 2022, the department published updated guidance on Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion statutory guidance. These documents provide clarity and support to schools on how to manage behaviour well for all pupils in the school community.Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.Some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore schools and partners should work with pupils and parents to identify and overcome any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place.Securing good attendance cannot therefore be seen in isolation, and effective practices for improvement will involve close interaction with schools’ efforts on curriculum, behaviour, bullying, SEND support, pastoral and mental health and wellbeing, and effective use of resources, including pupil premium.

Engineering and Nuclear Physics: Higher Education

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on (a) which universities offer courses in nuclear (i) physics and (ii) engineering and (b) how many (A) undergraduate and (B) graduate students are on such courses.

Robert Halfon: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), now part of Jisc, collects and publishes data on student enrolments and qualifications obtained at UK higher education providers. This includes data on full person equivalents (FPE) enrolled in different subject areas, categorised using the Higher Education Coding of Subjects (HECoS) system. Further information on the HECoS system is available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/hecos. This data has been used to approximate which providers offered courses including elements of the HECoS subjects ‘Nuclear Engineering’ (HECoS code 100172) and ‘Nuclear and Particle Physics’ (HECoS code 101077) in the 2021/22 academic year, and how many FPEs were enrolled in each of these subjects. This information has been provided as an attachment. For an up-to-date view of available undergraduate courses, including nuclear studies, please visit: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/.7744_Table (xlsx, 24.6KB)

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Pest Control

Sarah Olney: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much was spent on pest control on the parliamentary estate in each of the last three years.

Sarah Olney: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 7214 on House of Commons: Pest Control, if he will publish the reasons for each request for pest control in the last year.

Sir Charles Walker: The table below details how much has been spent on pest control on the Parliamentary Estate in each of the last three financial years.   2020/212021/222022/232023/24 (Year to date)Total costs£109,563£122,363£126,162£102,850House of Commons contribution£65,738£73,418£75,697£71,779House of Lords contribution£43,825£48,945£50,465£31,071  The table below details the high-level categories for pest controls in the past year.  Pest control: 10/01/2023 – 10/01/2024Problem type reported:Number of cases reportedElectric fly killers33Mouse investigation348Moth investigation61Other pest investigation107Total549*  *The difference in total number of cases from the answer to UIN 7214, tabled on 15 December 2023 results from the answers covering slightly different reporting periods.

Parliamentary Estate: Moths

Sarah Olney: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many moth infestations were reported to parliamentary authorities in each year since 2021.

Sarah Olney: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on moth deterrents on the Estate in each of the last three years.

Sarah Olney: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many moth monitoring devices have been installed on the Estate in each of the last three years.

Sir Charles Walker: The number of moth infestations reported in each of the last three years is as follows:2021 – 272022 – 442023 – 61All moth related monitoring and required subsequent treatments are included in the annual contract fee with our pest control expert. This is inclusive of any number of visits, monitoring devices, additional treatments, preventative maintenance visits or reactive responses that may be needed to treat a problem. As such, no additional costs are incurred.It is not possible to calculate how many devices have been installed in each of the last three years. However, a total of 982 monitoring devices have been installed during a permanent moth prevention programme which has been running since 2008.The current number of devices installed is 751. This current count is subject to constant fluctuation.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Applications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the monthly average was of the number of completed medical assessments of applicants to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF in each year since 2010.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the main medical conditions of applicants to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF were that led to an assessment of unfit to join the Armed Forces in (i) 2020, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applicants to the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF were assessed as unfit by medical professionals in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Landing Ship Dock Auxiliaries

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out of service date is for the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries Bay-class ships as of 10 January 2024.

James Cartlidge: To avoid compromising operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose individual out of service dates or specific in-service dates for naval vessels to avoid revealing elements of the fleet's long-term schedule.

Armed Forces: Applications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people had their application to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF rejected because of unsuitable tattoos in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel were living in grade four single living accommodation in each local authority area on 10 January 2024.

James Cartlidge: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Marines

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral contribution of 8 January 2024, Official Report, column 20, if he will make it his policy to publish the plan for the Royal Marines he has asked the First Sea Lord to provide.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral answer of 8 January 2023, Official Report column 20, what the timeline for is for delivery to him of a plan on how the work of the Royal Marines can be taken forward.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral answer of 8 January 2023, Official Report column 20, what the scope is of the plan for the Royal Marines he has asked the First Sea Lord to deliver.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Royal Marines Commando Force are highly trained, highly skilled and are currently deployed globally in support of operations; their transformation signalled in the Integrated Review 21 to the Future Commando Force is well underway. This is changing the way Commando Forces operate, utilising innovation and improving their lethality and agility to meet modern threats. The Royal Marines are a vital part of the UK’s fighting capability and the Royal Navy will continue to invest in the Littoral Strike Concept to ensure our ability to respond to future global threats and crises. The Secretary of State has commissioned a plan with a scope that will encompass how the Royal Marines work and capabilities can be bolstered and enhanced to protect Britain from a world that is growing more dangerous. Officials are formalising the scope, timelines and outcome of this work which will be submitted to Ministers for approval.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 4.8 on page 20 of his Department's directive entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 1: Directive - Understanding Behaviours in Defence, how many people are waiting to undertake their training as of 10 January 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Between now and 31 March 2024 there are 160 places for the D&I(Practitioner) course At the time of writing there are 67 places allocated, 63 awaiting allocation and currently 30 unfilled places. Between now and 31 March 2024 there are 140 places for the D&I(Advisor) course. At the time of writing there are 76 places allocated, four awaiting allocation and currently 60 unfilled places. Please note that allocations are not normally made until 25 days away from delivery, so the numbers will increase as we move closer to the course start dates.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.13 on page 4 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 2: Guidance - Informal Complaints Resolution Process, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring informal complaints to be recorded on the (a) Joint Personnel Administration system or (b) civilian HR management system.

Dr Andrew Murrison: All informal complaints are captured anonymously through the Diversity and Inclusion Adviser log, which is a centralised online system. Currently there is no requirement to register them on the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) human resources management systems. However, the MOD is currently undertaking a review into Service Complaints and part of that work involves looking at whether lower-level complaints can be resolved on units, but still tracked by the new Service Complaints Case Management System which is due to go live in the spring.

RFA Proteus

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the status of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Proteus is as of 10 January 2024.

James Cartlidge: As of 10 January 2024, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Proteus is in service. She is being generated and will be operationally available as soon as practicable.

Warships

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the location and tasking of each (a) Type 23 and (b) Type 45 is.

James Cartlidge: His Majesty's Government does not routinely comment on operational tasking across the Royal Navy Frigate and Destroyer fleet. The location of deployed Frigates and Destroyers is made public by exception only. We also do not comment on future operations as to do so could, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.However, I can confirm that there are currently seven Type 23 Frigates and three Type 45 Destroyers that are available for operations. As explained by the Secretary of State at Defence Oral questions on Monday 8 January 2024, HMS Richmond is currently sailing to the Middle East where HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster are already operating.

LGBT Veterans Independent Review

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of restitution payments made under the LGBT+ Veterans Independent Review.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Defence continues to work at pace with experts from across Government, and with reference to schemes developed by allies such as Canada, to establish an appropriate scheme for the financial award, working within the £50m limit recommended in Lord Etherton’s Review. Development of the scheme is at an early stage and therefore Defence cannot yet confirm the details, the expected number of claimants, or the likely size of awards. However, the Government is committed to delivering the report’s recommendation, acknowledging that the process is intricate and must be followed correctly. Defence will continue to engage with LGBT veterans as plans for the financial award progress. Defence are committed to providing updates on the development of the scheme, including eligibility criteria and the application process, which will be published to the ‘LGBT Veterans: support and next steps’ GOV.UK page as soon as possible. Ministers are committed to maintaining the momentum of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review and so are exploring the possibility of holding a debate in the House as soon as parliamentary time allows, following publication of the Government response last year.

Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason £300,579,931 was paid to General Dynamics UK for its work on Ajax between March and November 2023.

James Cartlidge: Payments made during the period March 2023 through to November 2023 by the Ministry of Defence to General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited were as a result of the successful completion of contracted milestones.

Marines

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the strength of the Royal Marines was in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As the Royal Marines transition into the Future Commando Force and turn to new upgraded and autonomous capabilities, there is the potential for the workforce structure to change in the future. The Royal Marines continue to maintain their capability to operate across different operational arenas. The following table provides the figures for the trained and untrained strength of the Royal Marines as at 1 April for each from 2010 up until 2023. Apr-10Apr-11Apr-12Apr-13Apr-14Apr-15Apr-16Apr-17Apr-18Apr-19Apr-20Apr-21Apr-22Apr-2379918198788976877814766375307328700868326587664166546506  The Ministry of Defence keeps the numbers of military personnel under close review. On a quarterly basis we publish UK Service personnel statistics by Service. The latest edition, with information as at 1 October 2023 can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2023

Navy: Type 23 Frigates

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected out of service date is for each of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the response I provided to Question 7840 on 9 January 2024.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 2.13 on page 4 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 2: Guidance - Informal Complaints Resolution Process, how many staff members made informal complaints to diversity and inclusion advisers in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Defence D&I adviser log captures incidents reported to Defence D&I advisers, a system that has been in place since the middle of 2021. Prior to that paper records were kept at unit level and the information would be too expensive/ require too many hours to recover. The number of informal complaints registered by D&I advisers by year are: 2021 – 1272022 – 4012023 – 4512024 - 6

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph to paragraph 7.5 on page 15 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 2: Guidance - Informal Complaints Resolution Process, on how many occasions have matters been referred to the police as a result of unacceptable behaviour in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: This information is not centrally held and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Trident Submarines: Procurement

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of replacing each Vanguard class submarine under the Trident nuclear programme.

James Cartlidge: Replacing the Vanguard Class, the Dreadnought submarine programme remains on track to deliver to schedule and within the original £31 billion plus £10 billion contingency budget made in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 7281 on Defence Business Services: Bullying and Harassment, how the Defence Business Services Casework Services record complaints of (a) bullying, (b) discrimination and (c) harassment.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Formal bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation complaints are received via a designated email multiuser. The complaint is then logged on a case management system as 'bullying and harassment' and investigated. When a case has concluded it is then recorded on the Civilian HR System; MyHR, at the end of the process.

Type 26 Frigates

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in-service date is for the Royal Navy’s first Type 26 frigate.

James Cartlidge: The Initial Operating Capability for the Type 26 Class is forecast to be October 2028. All ships are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.To avoid compromising operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose individual out of service dates or specific in-service dates for warships to avoid revealing elements of the Fleet's long-term schedule. However, the Royal Navy continues to ensure that it has sufficient assets available to deliver operational outputs.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 22 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 1: Directive - Understanding Behaviours in Defence, published in June 2021, how many and what proportion of climate assessments conducted have been at (a) level one and (b) level two in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The single Services have provided the following responses: Royal NavyClimate Assessment Level 1:July to December 2021: 112022: 272023: 31 Climate Assessment Level 2:2022: 32023: 7 Note: Royal Navy Level 1 Climate Assessments were created in July 2021 and Level 2 in January 2022.  ArmyClimate Assessment Level 1:2019: 1982020: 2342021: 2762022: 2712023: 257 Climate Assessment Level 2:2019: 62020: 22021: 112022: 202023: 29 Notes: The Level 2 process was redesigned in 2019, so delivery stopped during this process and only commenced for the year in October. Covid interruptions reduced face-to-face Climate assessments in 2020 and 2021.  Royal Air ForceClimate Assessment Level 1:2022: 112023: 25 Climate Assessment Level 2:2022: 32023: 12 Note: The Royal Air Force did not undertake Climate Assessments prior to September 2021.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF spent on the Defence Recruitment System in each year since 2012.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Recruitment Partnership Project spent on (a) the Defence Recruitment System and (b) other projects.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 15 June 2022 to Question 13042 on Armed Forces: Recruitment, how much his Department spent on the recruitment systems for the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Royal Navy in financial year 2022/23.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 January 2024 to Question 7265.Armed Forces: Recruitment (docx, 16.8KB)

HMS Albion

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what determination his Department made of the future of HMS Albion.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what determination his Department has made of the future of HMS Bulwark.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Secretary of State for Defence's oral contribution of 8 January 2024, Official Report, columns 18-22, when he plans to make a decision on the future of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.

James Cartlidge: On current plans, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will retire from service by the end of 2034. At this time there is no change to the departmental position on the future of HMS Albion or HMS Bulwark and no final decision has been made on the Landing Platform Docks.

Boxer Vehicles: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) initial and (b) full operating capacity date is for the Boxer mechanised infantry vehicle.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 17 October 2022 to Question 59082 to the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Mark Francois).

Air Force: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel were recruited into the RAF in each year since 2010; and what the recruitment target was in each of those years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Information required to answer the question is not held in the format requested and will take time to collate. I will write to the Member as soon as the information is available.

Navy: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel were recruited into the Royal Navy in each year since 2010; and what the recruitment target was in each of those years.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) recruitment target for and (b) number of personnel recruited to the Royal Marines was in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Figures are as follows for recruitment and recruitment targets for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in each year since 2010: Recruitment Targets for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from 1 April 2010 - 31 March 2023   12 months to:31-Mar-1131-Mar-1231-Mar-1331-Mar-1431-Mar-1531-Mar-1631-Mar-1731-Mar-1831-Mar-1931-Mar-2031-Mar-2131-Mar-2231-Mar-23Recruitment Targets2550223029253433326035713715382642144182440943523834Royal Navy1332147216922274237725762779284330433009317629632738Royal Marines12187581233115988399593698311711173123313891096   Regular Intake into the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from 1 April 2010 - 31 March 2023 12 months to:31-Mar-1131-Mar-1231-Mar-1331-Mar-1431-Mar-1531-Mar-1631-Mar-1731-Mar-1831-Mar-1931-Mar-2031-Mar-2131-Mar-2231-Mar-23Regular Intake Total2548221627673174293329973045304231433563397535902797Royal Navy1331146416422144217621922311228423652637292524942001Royal Marines12177521125103075780573475877892610501096796

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value is of the penalties to Capita through penalty clauses in contracts to deliver the Defence Recruitment System through the Recruiting Partnership Project since 2012.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times his Department has invoked penalty clauses with Capita in relation to the contract to deliver the Defence Recruitment System through the Recruiting Partnership Project since 2012.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The performance of the Defence Recruitment System (DRS) is measured as part of a wider monthly performance regime as a Key Performance Indicator. The table below shows the number of months where penalties were incurred: Financial Year & Number of Penalties2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23710355 The total value of penalties to Capita through clauses in contracts to deliver the Defence Recruitment System through the Recruiting Partnership Project can be found below: Financial Year & Penalty Value2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23£5,202£5,266£4,419£4,560£4,129 As the Defence Recruiting System did not reach Full Operating Capability until February 2018 it was agreed that Defence would start to measure its performance from Financial Year 2018-19.

Army: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 7263 on Army: Recruitment, what the total value is of the contract extension with Capita to run the defence recruitment system.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The value of the Defence Recruiting System is included in the overall cost of the contract extension with Capita for two years, out to March 2026, and is £7.18 million.

Ministry of Defence: Sexual Offences

Sarah Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civil claims for compensation which included an allegation of sexual assault of any kind have been issued against his Department in a (a) civil court and (b) tribunal in the last five years; and how many such claims were settled without a final hearing.

Dr Andrew Murrison: This Ministry of Defence takes the treatment of women and allegations of sexual assault in the Armed Forces very seriously. In answer to both questions:(a)150 common law compensation claims which included an allegation of sexual assault/ sexual abuse have been received in the last five years. Of these, 94 have settled out of court with damages paid. 15 have been closed with no damages awarded and 41 cases are continuing.(b)The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 22 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 1: Directive - Understanding Behaviours in Defence, published in June 2021, if he will publish the question set used in climate assessments.

Dr Andrew Murrison: A copy of the climate assessment question set, including a separate list of personal information gathered at the start of the survey, is provided in the attached documents.Climate Assessment Questions (docx, 35.9KB)Climate Assessments Survey's (xlsx, 20.4KB)

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 22 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 1: Directive - Understanding Behaviours in Defence, published in June 2021, what is the definition of a high number in each of the additional triggers listed.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence has not set such a definition. The triggers act as a guide for Commanding Officers, enabling them to request a Level 2 climate assessment when they have concerns about an aspect of their area of responsibility. A Level 2 assessment is undertaken in two phases; a Level 1 survey is conducted and followed up by more in-depth focus groups and interviews, based on the results of the Level 1 survey and the specific concerns of the Commanding Officer.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Harassment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of his Department's guidance entitled JSP 763 Behaviours and Informal Complaint Resolution Part 1: Directive - Understanding Behaviours in Defence, published in June 2021, how many climate assessments have been carried out in civilian top level budgets since April 2022.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Ministry of Defence: Trespass

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6862 on Ministry of Defence: Trespass, if he will provide a list of all locations which were accessed without authorisation in that period.

Dr Andrew Murrison: This information is being withheld for the purpose of safeguarding national security. The Ministry of Defence takes the security of our sites extremely seriously and we have robust measures in place to assure the integrity of these arrangements.

Royal Navy Careers Service: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many recruitment staff worked at the Naval Careers Service in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Royal Navy (RN) Careers Service (RNCS) is made up of former regular personnel of the RN and Royal Marines who serve as Full Time Reservists. The strength of the RNCS often fluctuates but has been in the range of approximately 145 to 185 personnel during the period from 2017 to 2023. The information requested is not available for the years prior to 2017.

Air Force: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff were employed on RAF recruitment in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Royal Air Force (RAF) Recruiting and Selection, headquartered at RAF College Cranwell with Recruitment Offices located across the UK, employed the following RAF Regular and Reserve personnel and Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civil Servants as detailed in the tables below: YearRAF Regular and Reserve Personnel as at 1 January 202428920232792022362202136820203522019358201835820173272016322201531920142792013255201225220112722010328   YearCivil Servants as at 31 December 20235520225320216420207720197720187820177620167420156820147720138420128020119920101112009112 Please note data for Civil Servants has been provided by Defence Business Services, data prior to 31 December 2017 may not accurately reflect the number of MOD Civil Servants working in RAF Recruiting & Selection due to an alternative method of allocating budget codes.

Army: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the NAO report Investigation into the British Army's Recruiting Partnership Project, HC 1781, published on 14 December 2018, whether the Recruiting Partnering Project made £267 million in savings by 2022.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Recruiting Partnership Project (RPP) was on track to deliver the savings target of £267 million by March 2022. Following the extension to the RPP contract in December 2020, and a further extension in June 2023 the savings target was revised to £309.99 million. The RPP is on track to achieve this by March 2026.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applicants to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF failed their pre-joining fitness test on the first attempt and passed on a subsequent attempt in each year since 2012.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people who failed their pre-joining fitness test withdrew from the recruitment process for the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Army: Colchester

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were members of the British Army Band Colchester on 31 December 2023; and if he will make an estimate of the number of members it will have on 31 December 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: There were 44 band members in British Army Band Colchester on 31 December 2023. It is estimated that there will be 23 members on 31 December 2024. The wider workforce will be rationalised across the Royal Corps of Army Music to maximise resources for State Ceremonial outputs and operational priorities. British Army Band Colchester will focus primarily on delivering Defence Engagement activity and providing smaller, more agile ensembles.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces Careers Offices have closed since 2010.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces Careers Offices there were in each UK region in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Applications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people who applied to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force did not reach the final application stage in each year since 2010.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF were voluntarily withdrawn up to (i) three and (ii) six months after the initial application in each year since 2010.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF were voluntarily withdrawn in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Air Force: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the RAF were made by (a) men and (b) women in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the Royal Navy were made by (a) men and (b) women in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2023.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to join the Army were made by (a) men and (b) women in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The requested information is provided in the attached tables.Armed Forces Applications (xlsx, 20.1KB)

Army: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Capita staff were working on Army recruitment in each year since 2012.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The total number of Capita staff working on Army recruitment in each year since 2012 can be found below: YearHeadcount as of  31st December  each calendar year*2012136**20133802014514201553120165602017699201874920198582020813202173920226932023724 *Please note the figure provided includes those employed on the Recruitment Partnership Project contract as of the end of each calendar year.  ** Figures for 2012 are lower than other years due to the six month transition period. The contract became active on 01 April 2013 following the transition phase.

Army: Military Bands

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army bands there were on 31 December (a) 1999, (b) 2009, (c) 2019 and (d) 2023.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a list of the Army bands which existed as of 31 December 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: There were 30 Bands in the British Army on 31 December 1999; 23 Bands on 31 December 2009; and 15 Bands on 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2023. The below table shows a list of Army Bands as at 31 December 2023. The Royal Corps of Army MusicThe Band of the Household CavalryBand of the Grenadier GuardsBand of the Coldstream GuardsBand of the Scots GuardsBand of the Irish GuardsBand of the Welsh GuardsThe Countess of Wessex’s String OrchestraThe Band of The Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Band and Bugles of The RiflesThe Band of The Prince of WalesThe Band of The Brigade of GurkhasBritish Army Band CatterickBritish Army Band ColchesterBritish Army Band SandhurstBritish Army Band Tidworth

MOD Boscombe Down: Sloane Helicopters

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who was on board the return flight by Sloane Helicopters call-sign G-MAOL from RAF Northolt to MOD Boscombe on 30 November 2023, flight reference KRF17.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of protected individuals, and/or official travel by any individual to military or secure locations.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what incentives the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) RAF provides for serving personnel to refer non-service personnel to join the Armed Forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ArmyThe Army is offering £500 to any serving soldier or officer who encourages someone to join the Army as a Regular or Reserve soldier. This incentive is known as the ‘Recruit Bounty Scheme’ and has been in place since July 2023. Royal NavyTo support the recruitment strategy, the Royal Navy has introduced a Bounty Scheme whereby a serving member of the Royal Navy, Royal Naval Reserves, Royal Marines or Royal Marines Reserves who encourages a civilian to join any of the different sections of the Royal Navy will receive a financial incentive payment of £500 when the new recruit begins their training. Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force does not currently have a bounty scheme.

Armed Forces: Labour Turnover

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) inflow and (b) outflow data for the Regular (i) Royal Navy, (ii) Army and (iii) Royal Air Force are for October to December 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The requested information is currently subject to a verification process and will be published in due course with a provisional release date of March 2024 as an Accredited Official Statistic through the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics publication. The latest edition covers the period to 1 October 2023 and can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-index

Type 32 Frigates: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page eight of the National Audit Office's report entitled The Equipment Plan 2023-2033, published on 4th December 2023, what steps he is taking to increase funding for the Type 32 frigate fleet.

James Cartlidge: The Type 32 programme has not yet reached the level of maturity for full budget allocation. To date, approximately £4 million of concept funding has been spent. This is consistent with a programme of this size and complexity at this stage in its development.

Defence Equipment: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the National Audit Office’s report entitled The Equipment Plan 2023 to 2033, published on 4 December 2023.

James Cartlidge: Whilst the National Audit Office (NAO) report recognises the significant impact global headwinds and extraordinary inflation has had on UK defence, it does not and could not accurately reflect the current or future state of the Armed Forces Equipment Plan as it represents a snapshot in time which predates the Defence Command Plan 2023. We are working hard to deliver the equipment our Service people need to keep the UK safe. We have therefore increased the budget for the Equipment Plan to £288.6 billion over the next decade.

Warships: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of the Royal Navy’s (a) multi-role support ship, (b) type 32, (c) multi-role ocean surveillance and (d) type 83 ship programmes.

James Cartlidge: Each of these programmes are currently in the concept phase and the focus is on determining the requirement and on setting the programmes up for success with work ongoing to ensure affordability. The Multi-Role Ocean surveillance programme has already procured one vessel, but procurement of the second vessel remains in the concept phase.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 6765, what steps he is taking to increase the number of countries participating the International Fund for Ukraine.

James Heappey: The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials engage frequently with international counterparts to ensure continued support and solidarity for Ukraine. This includes seeking additional contributions to a range of initiatives including the International Fund for Ukraine, the international group delivering Air Defence systems to Ukraine and the Maritime Capability Coalition.

Challenger Tanks: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) initial and (b) full operating capacity date is for the Challenger III main battle tank.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 July 2023 to Question 194580 to the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr Tom Hunt).Challenger Tanks (docx, 25.2KB)

Type 31 Frigates: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in-service date is for the Royal Navy’s first Type 31 frigate.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I provided on 14 June 2023 to Question 187885.HMS Venturer (docx, 14.7KB)

LE TacCIS Programme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on the Morpheus programme.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 December 2023 to Question 3715.LE TacCIS Programme: Expenditure (docx, 24.8KB)

Vodafone Group: Contracts

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's contracts with Vodafone.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) actively monitors all key suppliers and their current contracts, including those with Vodafone in accordance with MOD policy and process. Each contract is managed at a top level budget level (e.g. Defence Digital) where the adequacy of each contract is assessed on an ongoing basis.

LE TacCIS Programme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what capability benefits his Department has received from the end of the Morpheus programme.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the costs are of cancellation of the Morpheus contract with General Dynamics.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has concluded the Evolve to Open Transition Partner contract, with General Dynamics Mission Systems (UK) (GDMS(UK)), which was due to deliver a lab tested design for Project MORPHEUS. Overall, the MOD has reached a position where the deliverables are sufficient to enable the future of the MORPHEUS project and the next generation of tactical communications, a position reinforced by strong market engagement with suppliers. Due to the confidentiality provisions in the contract protecting commercial interests we are unable to provide further detail.

Trident Submarines: Deployment

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Vanguard class submarines are deployed to provide continuous at sea deterrence.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when each Vanguard class submarine has been out of service.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Vanguard class submarines are out of service.

James Cartlidge: The Royal Navy has provided the Continuous At Sea Deterrent for an unbroken 54 years with Operation RELENTLESS. However, we do not disclose these details for operational security reasons as to do so could or would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability and security of the Armed Forces.

HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the out of service date is of (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark.

James Cartlidge: On current plans, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will retire from service by the end of 2034.

HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on the refit of (a) HMS Argyll and (b) HMS Westminster.

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Type 23 frigates are in refit; and when those refits are expected to be completed.

James Cartlidge: HMS ST ALBANS, HMS SUTHERLAND, HMS WESTMINSTER and HMS ARGYLL are currently in or are awaiting Refit. The duration of refit periods is determined by a number of factors, including requirements that emerge during the course of the work, as well as pre-planned repairs and capability insertions. It is not therefore possible to provide precise completion dates until late during each refit period. In the financial year 2023-24, £100 million has been allocated for Type 23 refits and of this sum about £50 million has been expended. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of allocation or expenditure by vessel for future work. Funds for Type 23 refits are not simply allocated on a per ship or per refit basis. The work required to be undertaken on a vessel over and above pre-planned capability insertions, and therefore the overall baseline costs, are established by survey of the vessel at the commencement of each refit period.

Army: Colchester

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for when the army will stop training at the Middlewick Firing Ranges, Colchester.

James Cartlidge: No training has taken place at Middlewick Ranges since 25 January 2021. The Ranges were formally closed in September 2023.

Fujita: Contracts

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) duration, (b) purpose and (c) value is of each of his Department's contracts with Fujita; and who the Top Level budget holder is for each contract.

James Cartlidge: I am taking the right hon. Member’s question to be asking about Fujitsu. The Department has a total of 12 direct contracts with Fujitsu. These are held by both Defence Equipment and Support and Defence Digital. The value of each contract is commercially sensitive.

Red Sea: Shipping

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take should Houthi rebels continue to attack commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

James Heappey: The situation in the Red Sea remains extremely serious. The UK alongside our international partners condemn the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthis. These attacks risk innocent lives, exacerbate the humanitarian suffering in Yemen, threaten regional security and harm the global economy. The UK alongside allies have previously made clear that these illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and if continued the Houthis will bear the consequences. We will take the action needed to protect innocent lives and the global economy.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the blockade of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits on the delivery of UK Government military aid to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The UK does not transport materiel aid intended for Ukraine via the Black Sea / Bosphorus Strait.As a signatory, the UK is committed to the Montreux Convention and welcomes Turkey's strong support over Ukraine, especially through its implementation of the Montreux Convention in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea. In this context, there are no plans for two former British minehunting ships, recently transferred to the Ukrainian Navy, to operate in the Black Sea until conditions allow.

Ukraine: Minesweepers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of transferring two minehunter ships to Ukraine on the Royal Navy’s minehunter capabilities.

James Heappey: The Royal Navy continues to ensure that it has sufficient assets available to meet its operational outputs. Looking forward, the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme aims to provide a transition from conventional ship-based Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving, to the exploitation of innovative and technically advanced maritime autonomous off-board systems, making the disposal of sea mines safer, more efficient and effective.

Department for Transport

Minibuses: Schools

Sarah Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to ensure that school minibus drivers have formal qualifications.

Guy Opperman: To drive a school minibus the driver must have the relevant driving licence entitlement. Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 were automatically entitled to the minibus licence category D1(101), allowing them to drive minibuses not for hire or reward, such as school minibuses. Drivers who passed after 1 January 1997 are not automatically entitled to the minibus D1(101) category and may need to take a D1 driving test.

Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's Circular 01/2013, whether it remains Government policy that a 30 mph speed limit should be the norm in villages.

Guy Opperman: 30mph remains the default speed limit in built-up areas. Unless an order has been made and the road is signed to the contrary, a 30 mph speed limit applies where there is a system of street lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 200 yards apart.

Motor Vehicles: Tyres

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making winter tyres mandatory on road vehicles during the autumn and winter.

Guy Opperman: Winter tyres do have improved grip in snow and icy conditions and some countries require these tyres at certain times of year. In those regions that may be exposed to prolonged periods of significant winter conditions, or where the driver knows that they will have no choice but to journey on roads that may be affected by snow and ice, the cost of equipping vehicles with winter tyres may be justified. However, given the relatively low frequency of heavy snow and ice experienced in the UK, the Government currently has no plans to introduce a legal requirement mandating winter tyres.

St Clears Station: Restoring Your Railway Fund

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on delivering St Clears railway station via the Restoring Your Railway Fund.

Huw Merriman: We have previously made £4.7m available to the Welsh Government towards the cost of reopening a railway station at St. Clears. The Welsh government has requested work on this project is paused, pending a decision on the location of a new hospital.

Railways: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with rail service providers on tackling anti-social behaviour on railway services in Solihull constituency.

Huw Merriman: The Government takes anti-social behaviour (ASB) very seriously and published its ASB Action Plan in March 2023. The British Transport Police (BTP) recorded 19 offences between April and December 23 in Solihull, made up of cycle theft, public order offences and theft of personal property. This figure (19) was the same for the same time frame last year. BTP have worked with Chiltern Railways to get officers CCTV access remotely covering Solihull from Birmingham Moor Street. Officers have attended Solihull College and delivered an educational input as well as advertising BTP and the recruitment process. Plans are in place to install a knife bin in the carpark at Solihull Station after consultation with BTP, West Midlands Police and the local Policing and Crime Commissioner.

Wales Rail Board

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has the Wales Rail Board made in identifying rail infrastructure (a) improvements and (b) investments since March 2022.

Huw Merriman: The Wales Rail Board continues to play an important role working with UK Government to identify a range of rail infrastructure improvements and investments in Wales to meet current needs and anticipated future demand.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V62 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D1 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D2 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many D777B application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V317 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V5C application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many V890 application forms were received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in 2023; and what the average waiting time was for approving those applications.

Guy Opperman: The table below shows the total number and average waiting time of manual and digital applications processed in 2023.  Manual applicationsDigital applications Total number processedAverage processing time (in working days)Total number processedAverage processing timeV5C Vehicle Registration Certificate2,541,989414,497,650 These transactions are not available separatelyThe average waiting time to process digital applications is not readily available but is typically one day if the transaction is successful and casework or medical enquiries are not required.V62 Application for a Vehicle Registration Certificate1,499,8939V890 Statutory Off Road Notification62,76912,381,559V317 Application to keep/transfer a vehicle registration number115,16841,002,687D1 – non medical Application for a driving licence1,716,07367,622,328D2 – non medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence284,980562,982D1 - medical Application for a driving licence309,3956355,802D2 - medical Application for lorry, bus or minibus driving licence90,27355This service is not offered onlineD777B Application for a driver digital tachograph card22,4883159,888 For the figures above, the mode average has been used to calculate the number of average processing days.

Railways: Plymouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the work on the Tavistock to Plymouth rail line will come from (a) existing budgets and (b) reallocated HS2 budgets in 2024.

Huw Merriman: The early development stage of the project is covered by existing budgets under the Restoring Your Railway Programme. Progression into design and delivery will use reallocated HS2 funding, subject to business case approval.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for her policies on fining UK car manufacturers who sell too many petrol and diesel cars of levels of demand for battery vehicles.

Anthony Browne: The Department for Transport consulted extensively with vehicle manufacturers and as a result, the zero emission vehicle targets are ambitious but achievable.The mandate will help cut the cost of zero emission vehicle cars by giving manufacturers the certainty they need to transition production. In doing so, this will help more and more people save money on their motoring with the cheaper driving they provide, whilst reducing our reliance on imported oil and helping to deliver our ambitious emission reduction targets.

Electric Vehicles: Sales

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) market surveys and (b) other research his Department conducted before setting mandatory percentages for future electric vehicle sales.

Anthony Browne: The Department for Transport consulted three times on the design of a zero emission vehicle mandate, including the zero emission vehicle targets for cars and vans. Manufacturers representing 96% of new cars sold in the UK and 95% of new vans were engaged as part of this process and gave detailed feedback. A full cost benefit analysis was published alongside the final consultation in March 2023, with a revised final cost benefit analysis published in October 2023 alongside the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes Order 2023.

East Coast Main Line: Peterborough

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of direct trains from Peterborough to London Kings Cross have been cancelled in the last six months.

Huw Merriman: London North Eastern Railway cancelled a total of 1,501 services between Peterborough and London between 23 July 2023 and 6 January 2024. This equates to 6.1 per cent of their services between these stations. In the past six months Govia Thameslink Railway had 1,673 direct services scheduled to run from Peterborough to King’s Cross, 126 (7.5 per cent) of them were cancelled. A significant proportion of cancellations were due to flooding from named storms and infrastructure failures.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set a deadline for publication of the Government response to the consultation on Pavement parking: options for change.

Guy Opperman: The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to our consultation and is now working through the policy options and the means of delivering them. As soon as those matters are certain we will publish our formal response.

Bus Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of advanced partnership arrangements for co-ordinating local bus services; what best practice he has identified; and if he will issue guidance to local partnerships on minimum standards.

Guy Opperman: 96% of Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in England which opted to deliver their local bus services through an Enhanced Partnership (EP) have now developed and published their EP schemes, based on their local Bus Service Improvement Plan. EPs have facilitated closer working relationships between LTAs, operators and other local stakeholders, supported by over £1bn of BSIP delivery funding for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25. The Government has published guidance on developing EPs which sets out the required standards for delivery of LTAs’ EP scheme commitments.

Wales Rail Board

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Wales Rail Board has met since it was established.

Huw Merriman: The Wales Rail Board held an inaugural meeting in March 2022 and has met on six further occasions since then.

Railways: Fares

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department carried out an equality impact assessment before announcing that railway fares would increase by 4.9% in 2024.

Huw Merriman: Yes.

Railways: Horden and Seaham

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is he taking to improve rail services at (a) Horden and (b) Seaham.

Huw Merriman: The Department, through the Rail North Partnership, will continue to work with train operators and stakeholders to assess potential improvements to train services to Horden and Seaham. Any additional services must take into account network constraints on the Durham Coast Line and be justified by passenger demand, as well as affordable within operators’ existing business plans and budgets.

Railway Stations: Anti-social Behaviour

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to tackle antisocial behaviour in train stations (a) nationally and (b) in Romford constituency.

Huw Merriman: a) The Government published its ASB Action Plan in March 2023, which included a pilot to extend Transport Safety Officers to outside the West Midlands. In addition, the British Transport Police’s Integrated Security and Policing pilot ran from April 2022-23 focussing on harnessing the collective energy of policing and non-policing partners in tackling crime and disorder, vulnerability, and disruption on the network. b) We have contacted the British Transport Police for information specific to Romford and will reply once this has been received.

London Underground: WiFi

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with Transport for London on the potential impact of free wi-fi in underground services on the security of Government buildings in central London.

Huw Merriman: No discussions have taken place.

Motor Vehicles: Ukraine

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when will legislation be brought forward to allow vehicles from London’s ULEZ scrappage scheme to be donated to Ukraine.

Huw Merriman: We were concerned to hear about the Mayor of London’s objections to this scheme, and surprised they took so long to be raised with Government. Subsequently officials have been working at pace to find a way to resolve the Mayor’s concerns.

Pokesdown Station: Facilities

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure the delivery of planned facilities improvements to Pokesdown station by Network Rail.

Huw Merriman: DfT Officials are in regular contact with South Western Railway, Network Rail and the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, through all-party meetings and correspondence, to ensure that the facilities improvements at Pokesdown for Boscombe station are carried out. A total of £5.7m has been allocated by all parties to the project, which is currently in the design stage, with funding agreements to shortly be agreed.

Transport: North Shropshire

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of Network North funding will be allocated to improving public transport connections in North Shropshire constituency.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of the funding for the Midlands Rail Hub will be spent in North Shropshire constituency.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled Find out about every new transport project in your region, published on 5 October 2023, how much and what proportion of funding for local transport connections across areas in the West and East Midlands outside the city regions will be spent on transport in North Shropshire constituency.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's press release of 4 October 2023 on the redirection of HS2 funding to transport across the North and Midlands, what newly funded road schemes in the Midlands will be (a) in North Shropshire constituency and (b) funded by money redirected from HS2.

Huw Merriman: Network North has committed to redirected money from HS2 with the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 reinvested in the North, the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands reinvested in the Midlands, and the full £6.5 billion saved through our rescoped approach at Euston being spread across every other region in the country. We continue to work with our delivery partners to develop plans and deliver all projects and schemes announced as part of Network North, including agreement of funding allocations. Of the £9.6 billion for the Midlands, North Shropshire will benefit from funding from a number of schemes under Network North:Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) – £1 billion of additional funding for BSIPs in the North and the Midlands. This includes nearly £230 million in investment to improve the frequency and services in the Midlands, such as ride upgrades in Shropshire.Highways Maintenance – £2.2 billion of additional capital funding for local highways maintenance activities, such as the resurfacing of local road networks in the Midlands, which will be allocated from 2023/24 to 2033/34. The Shropshire Local Authority will receive an additional overall uplift of £154 million between 2023-24 and 2033-34, with £2.6 million for both 2023-24 and 2024-25.Local Integrated Transport Settlements (LITS) – this is a new £4.7 billion fund for the 27 local transport authorities, outside city-regions, in the North and Midlands, including Shropshire. It will run for 7 years from 2025/26; funding allocations will be announced in due course.  It is important to note that it is at the discretion of Local Authorities to determine the allocation of funds from each of these schemes to specific projects and which schemes they choose to deliver within their areas.  Additionally, as part of Network North, we’ve committed to restoring the Oswestry to Gobowen line which will drive tourism, boosts local businesses, and encourage investment in the Shropshire area. We will announce further details in due course.   The Department has conditionally approved funding of £54.4 million towards the cost of the proposed Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road which would provide a new 4.5 mile single carriageway road linking the northern and western parts of Shrewsbury. Approval is conditional on Shropshire Council securing planning and other legal consents, carrying out procurement and submitting a Full Business Case.

Community Transport: Licensing

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of withdrawing Sections 19 and 22 exemptions for schools.

Guy Opperman: We are not currently planning to revise Transport Act legislation in relation to the section 19 and 22 permit schemes.

Roads: Birmingham

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the viability of alternative schemes to the Highways PFI contract for Birmingham.

Guy Opperman: The Department has assessed the viability of a range of alternative schemes to the Birmingham PFI contract. Following this, we have committed to continue Birmingham’s existing funding at approximately £50m for 2024/5. In subsequent years, Birmingham would be allocated formula funding in the same way as other local highways authorities across the country, as part of the highways maintenance block grant. This will be paid via the West Midlands Combined Authority in the usual way. The Department will increase the additional funding going to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) under the Network North Roads Resurfacing fund to take account of the fact that the allocations announced in November 2023 did not include an amount for Birmingham. WMCA is also benefiting from over £1 billion of City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding up to 2026/27, and set to benefit from indicative CRSTS2 funding of over £2.6 billion between 2027/28 and 2031/32.

Electric Scooters: Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 October to Question 201077 on Electric Scooters, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory e-step scooter training on the (a) experience of e-step scooter users and (b) number of injuries caused by e-step scooters.

Anthony Browne: The Department will consult in due course on options for e-scooter regulations, including the requirement for training before an e-scooter can be ridden on public roads. The evidence gathered will inform an assessment of the benefit of introducing a mandatory training requirement, as is the case currently for motor vehicles, rather than a recommendation of training, as is currently the case for pedal and e-cycles. Separately, the Department is committed to using the trials extension to May 2026 to continue evaluating the usage and safety impacts of e-scooters.

Speed Limits: Fines

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing (a) local authorities and (b) police forces to retain revenues from speeding fines.

Guy Opperman: No recent assessment has been made.

Road Traffic Offences: Reoffenders

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendation that the Government should consider the introduction of escalating penalties for repeat traffic offences made in the Road Justice report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking in September 2023.

Guy Opperman: No such assessment has been made.

Railway Stations: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its decision on the reopening of St. Anne's railway station in Bristol.

Huw Merriman: I hope to be able to provide further information in due course.

Public Transport: Bed Bugs

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with the UK Health Security Agency on the spread of Cimicosis on public transport.

Guy Opperman: Department for Transport officials regularly engage with Health Security Agency officials on a range of issues.

Department for Transport: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many settlement payments his Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20 (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Anthony Browne: Reports generated from the Civil Service Casework Management Application database state that there were no settlement payments made in relation to cases with either bullying and/or harassment recorded as a reason for the case in the financial years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 or 2022-23. In relation to cases where discrimination was referenced in the reasons for the case, one settlement payment was made in 2019-20 and two were made in 2022-23. There are no other records of settlement payments for discrimination in either 2020-21 or 2021-22.

Driving

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to implement the Plan for Drivers published on 2 October 2023.

Guy Opperman: Work is underway for each of the 30 measures in “The Plan for Drivers”, with many expected to be completed by summer 2024.

Roads: Closures

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps help to prevent road closures during periods in which roadworks are not taking place.

Guy Opperman: Works by utility companies are necessary to repair or maintain their apparatus, but they should be completed as soon as possible to minimise disruption to traffic. Highway authorities have a duty under section 59 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to co-ordinate works taking place on their roads to manage their networks effectively and safely. The Government published updated guidance to them on this in April 2023. Part of this coordination requires that undertakers, mostly utility companies, must give notice to the relevant highway authority in advance of non-emergency works and proposed traffic management. Any utility overstaying their agreed period in the highway is subject to overrun charges up to £10,000 per day subject to certain criteria. We announced in the Plan for Drivers ( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plan-for-drivers/the-plan-for-drivers) proposals to introduce weekend overrun charges, to close the loophole that means no charges can be imposed for works that overrun at the weekend, and an increase in the fines for utility companies pay for not complying with the law. We are also supporting further roll out of lane rental, a charging regime highway authorities can use to help reduce congestion on the busiest roads at the busiest times. We look forward to seeing more schemes being developed this year.

Electric Vehicles

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to promote the use of electric vehicles to help reduce running costs for (a) high mileage and (b) lower earning motorists.

Anthony Browne: EVs are already cheaper to run for the vast majority of drivers. Recently published independent research suggests an average saving of around £700 per year, with high mileage motorists benefitting the most. Alongside reductions in battery costs, the Government’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, by giving car manufacturers the confidence to invest, will help drive down the purchase cost of electric vehicles. Although estimates vary, some external commentators predict price parity between EVs and ICE cars will be reached in the late 2020s.

Electric Scooters: Regulation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of bringing e-step scooters into L-Category regulation on (a) vehicle standards, (b) the skill levels of e-step scooter users and (c) the number of e-step scooter accidents.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of bringing e-step scooters into L-Category regulation on the (a) quality and (b) safety of e-step scooter vehicle design.

Anthony Browne: Currently, e-scooters are considered motor vehicles in law. This means private e-scooters can only be used on public land if they comply with the legal requirements for motor vehicles and motorcycles, including the relevant type approval, Construction and Use and user requirements such as training, licensing and helmet wearing. The Government is currently considering options for future e-scooter regulations, including such things as the requirement for users to hold a driving licence or to register and insure the vehicle, and various technical specifications for vehicles including maximum speed limits. No decisions have been made, and we will consult on any new regulations before they come into force so that all interested parties have a chance to shape the new regime.The e-scooter trials, recently extended by a further two years to May 2026, also continue to have significant value as a source of evidence as we move toward a new regime. The Department will conduct an impact assessment before regulations, including on training, are brought into force.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of financial pressures resulting from Horizon compensation on Southall Broadway Crown Post Office.

Kevin Hollinrake: Government has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network over the past decade and is providing a further £588 million for the Post Office between 2022 and 2025.As part of the funding package up to 2025, Government is providing Post Office with £150 million to enable the company to meet the costs of participating in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and delivering compensation to postmasters.

Post Office: Fujitsu

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many government contracts have been awarded to Fujitsu for Post Office Ltd since 2015.

Kevin Hollinrake: Post Office operates as a commercial business at arm’s length from Government and the company is responsible for its own commercial relationships. As such, there are no Government contracts with Fujitsu relating to the Post Office.

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will call on Fujitsu to compensate the sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted between 2000 and 2014.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has set up a statutory inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal. Collective and individual accountability for the scandal can only be considered when the Inquiry has reviewed all the evidence.

Horizon IT System

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with Post Office Limited on preventing errors with the current Horizon software.

Kevin Hollinrake: There have been several iterations of the Horizon system since its introduction in 1999. The current version of the system was introduced from 2017. Post Office continue to make improvements to the system and will be moving away from Horizon to a new IT cloud-based system. Government recently announced that it is providing £103 million to help with the development of the replacement for the Horizon IT system and to ensure Horizon is maintained while that replacement is rolled out. While publicly owned, Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government as a commercial business with its own Board. Post Office reports to Government on key issues and Government has robust mechanisms in place to maintain oversight of the company.

Shipping: Red Sea

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the implications for (a) her policies and (b) levels of international trade of Houthi activity in the Red Sea.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region and safeguarding international trade routes. Amid ongoing Houthi attacks against commercial vessels transiting the Red Sed, the UK has joined Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN to help safeguard freedom of navigation. Whilst other government departments are leading the overall response to the Red Sea crisis, the Department for Business and Trade is focussed on the trade and business side. We continue to assess impacts of Houthi activity on international trade and are working across Government to analyse sectoral impacts and engage industry. Mitigating supply chain issues and promoting free and open international trade continue to be top priorities of HMG. HMG will shortly be publishing the UK Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy, which will reflect the government’s broader Supply Chain Resilience Framework.

Arms Trade: Israel

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral evidence by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 January 2023, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policy on arms export licences to Israel of the evidence provided by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on whether Israel is complying with international law in its military engagement in Gaza.

Greg Hands: The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 2, covering respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law. Extant licences are kept under careful review and the Business and Trade Secretary has the power to suspend, revoke or amend extant licences as required.

Department for Business and Trade: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many settlement payments her Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Greg Hands: The Department for Business and Trade issued less than 5 settlement payments following discrimination claims in the financial year 2021-22. We withhold the exact figures under Section 40(2) (Personal information) of the Data Protection Act. No settlement payments following bullying, harassment and/or discrimination claims were issued in the other years requested. Under the Declaration on Government Reform, we “guarantee fairness at work, take a zero tolerance approach to bullying, discrimination and harassment, and grow a culture that welcomes challenge and demands rigour in how we assess delivery for citizens.” Settlement Agreements are not used to prevent colleagues from speaking out.

Apprentices: Working Hours

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure compliance with the working time directive for apprentices.

Kevin Hollinrake: Apprentices have the same employment rights as other employees, including those under the Working Time Regulations.The enforcement of sanctions under the Working Time Regulations is dependent upon the breach. Breaches of limits on maximum weekly working time, night work and patterns of work which generate health and safety risks are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, other sector-specific state enforcement bodies, and local authorities for certain types of premises.Workers may bring a complaint to an Employment Tribunal if they feel they have not been permitted to exercise their right to daily or weekly rest.

Palm Oil: Imports

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and (b) tariff liberalisation for palm oil imports on (i) deforestation and (ii) loss of habitats in palm oil supplying countries.

Greg Hands: The Department’s Impact Assessment, published in July 2023, shows that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could boost UK GDP by around £2.0 billion each and every year when compared to projected GDP in 2040. The Impact Assessment also includes assessments made relating to palm oil, deforestation and loss of habitats. The UK is committed to tackling illegal deforestation within our supply chains, and our agreement to join the CPTPP does not change that. The report of the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission, published in December 2023, concluded that “it is unlikely that CPTPP will lead to an increase in palm oil being grown on deforested land”.

Reconstruction: Ukraine

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK business support for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: UK businesses mobilised quickly in support of Ukraine and have become an effective partner for Ukraine’s reconstruction.The Department for Business and Trade works in partnership with British Businesses and the Government of Ukraine on their reconstruction priorities in the immediate, medium and long term.The UK has received repeated praise and thanks from the Government of Ukraine for its innovative approach, agility and commitment. Successful examples include the London Conference Framework on war risk insurance to underpin reconstruction and an energy partnership to provide long-term sustainable support to a critical sector in Ukraine.

Arms Trade: Israel

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy to (a) monitor and (b) report on the impact of UK-supplied arms on civilians in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Greg Hands: The UK export licensing system is based on having a thorough risk-assessment process for the original export licence before the goods leave the UK.We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC).The SELC provide a thorough risk assessment framework for export licence applications and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. We will not license the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with the SELC.  These are not decisions we take lightly.Our assessments draw on all available information relevant to the criteria in the case, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.

Arms Trade: Israel

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a breakdown of the type of military equipment which has been licensed for export to Israel in last five years.

Greg Hands: HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics on GOV.UK, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data also specifies whether the goods covered by a particular licence are for ultimate use by the destination country or whether the goods are due to be incorporated into another product for use by a third-party destination (ie incorporation licences).This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.

Arms Trade: Israel

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many arms licences have been issued to Israel in the last five years; and what those licences were for.

Greg Hands: HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-dataThe most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.

Fireworks: Regulation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the impact of firework usage on (a) individuals, (b) animals and (c) property.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing firework control zones to help protect vulnerable (a) people and (b) animals.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government's intention has always been to minimise any negative impact of fireworks and we support their considerate use, reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals, and property. To achieve this, a comprehensive regulatory framework exists for fireworks. Enforcement mechanisms are in place to tackle situations when fireworks are misused and penalties for fireworks-related offences can include imprisonment or an unlimited fine. The Government continues to monitor the situation and engage with stakeholders to listen to and understand their views on a range of issues. However, we have no plans to introduce firework control zones at this time.

Bereavement Leave

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has plans to increase the amount of statutory paid leave to parents who lose a child under the age of 18 are entitled to.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government recognises that the death of a child is a tragic event. In April 2020, we introduced a new statutory entitlement to up to two weeks’ Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for parents who lose a child under the age of 18.The Government has no plans to increase this amount of statutory paid leave, but we strongly encourage employers to act with compassion and go beyond the statutory minimum when they are able to.

Fireworks: Licensing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to introduce a licencing system for the (a) purchase and (b) sale of fireworks by and to members of the public.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms to tackle the misuse of fireworks.

Kevin Hollinrake: A licensing regime for the sale of fireworks already exists, with retailers needing a licence to supply fireworks outside of the traditional firework periods. Retailers may still need a licence in the selling periods, depending on the quantity they wish to store and sell. We have no current plans to introduce further restrictions. Local Authorities and the Police have a wide range of powers available to them to tackle the misuse of fireworks. The Government has not undertaken an assessment of their effectiveness but considers these powers to be proportionate and effective in protecting the public from undue harm.

Fireworks: Noise

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 for mitigating the impact of fireworks on noise pollution.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Fireworks Regulations 2004 set a maximum noise limit of 120 decibels on all consumer fireworks. It should be noted, however, that many consumer fireworks go off at a noise level below this rate, as demonstrated in the Government’s noise testing research, published in February 2023. Lower noise fireworks are also commercially available to consumers to purchase if they wish to, potentially reducing distress to vulnerable groups and animals. The Government has no current plans to reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for consumer use but we continue to monitor the situation.

Church Commissioners

Paula Vennells

Chris Loder: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what role Paula Vennells had in advising the Commissioners after 2019; and which committees she attended.

Andrew Selous: In the spring of 2019 the House of Bishops discussed why some of the recommendations of the Church Buildings Review, which was approved by the General Synod in November 2015, had not been implemented. Paula Vennells was subsequently asked by the Archbishops to undertake a lessons learnt review. During the course of the review its remit was expanded to look at the wider working together of the National Church Institutions (NCIs), including issues around organisational governance, leadership and culture. The report, ‘Church Buildings Review- Lessons Learnt’, was completed in October 2019 and Paula Vennells attended a meeting of the House of Bishops in December 2019 at which it was presented.In February 2020 Paula Vennells was invited to attend the Church Commissioners Board of Governors for a discussion of the Lessons Learnt report, but she was unable to attend and the report was considered in her absence. The Lessons Learnt report was considered by the Archbishops’ Council in March 2020, again in the absence of Paula Vennells, who was invited but unable to attend.In March 2020 the Archbishops established a Coordinating Group, to continue the work of the Triennium Funding Working Group, and to coordinate certain strands of national work for the Church during the Covid 19 pandemic. Paula Vennells was invited to join the Coordinating Group and to lead on the part focusing on Governance. She attended three meetings of the Group, in April, May and June 2020 and sent apologies to two further meetings in June and July, before withdrawing from the work. The Coordinating Group became what is now the Emerging Church Steering Group. A Governance Review group under the Chairmanship of the Bishop of Leeds proceeded from August 2020, without the involvement of Paula Vennells.The Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) is convened and funded by the three National Investment Bodies, to whom it provides ethical investment advice. Paula Vennells was appointed to the EIAG by its Nominations Committee and was a member between March 2019 and April 2021. She attended two meetings, in March and October 2019, and sent apologies for meetings thereafter until she took leave of absence from the Group from June 2020, lasting until her resignation in April 2021. More information about the EIAG can be found here: Ethical Investment Advisory Group | The Church of England

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Intellectual Property: Theft

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support for victims of intellectual property theft provided by Action Fraud.

Saqib Bhatti: In 2023 the Government published a Fraud Strategy, setting out plans to reduce fraud by 10% by December 2024. Action Fraud is the UK’s national information and reporting centre for fraud and financially motivated internet crime, including intellectual property theft. As part of the national fraud strategy, the government is committed to replacing Action Fraud with a new state-of-the-art reporting service, making it easier for victims to report crime, and for law enforcement to take action on victims’ reports.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Sales

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to (a) tackle the sale of fake designer goods and (b) seize the proceeds of of such sales.

Saqib Bhatti: The UK has strong measures in place to address IP crime and infringement, co-ordinated by the Intellectual Property Office. It works with the Police IP Crime Unit, Trading Standards, and Regional Organised Crime Units among others to tackle the sale of fake designer goods. Wilful trade mark counterfeiting and copyright piracy on a commercial scale are criminal offences and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 provides powers to seize assets derived from such criminal activity. A recent operation between IPO, City of London Police, Trading Standards and industry representatives at Camden High Street resulted in the seizure of fake designer bracelets worth £400,000.

Telecommunications: Permitted Development Rights

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on requirements to (a) consult residents on and (b) notify residents of the use of permitted development powers for the installation of telecommunications infrastructure in residential areas; and whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of such requirements.

Julia Lopez: Permitted development rights (PDR) are a national grant of permission that allow certain building works and changes of use to take place without having to submit a planning application. They are subject to limitations and conditions to manage impacts and protect local amenity. In some cases, prior approval is required which allows the local planning authority to consider specific planning matters before development can take place. The local community may comment on the matters for prior approval. Individual permitted development rights including their associated limitations, conditions, and where relevant, matters for prior approval are set out in the General Permitted Development Order. There is no specific guidance on the permitted development rights for electronic communications. In addition to the planning framework, additional duties and obligations relating to telecommunications installations are included in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”). The 2003 Regulations require that in certain PDR cases, the operator must notify the local planning authority of its intention to deploy certain apparatus, provided that they have no pre-existing equipment in the area. The local planning authority may give written notice of conditions with which they wish the Operator to comply with in respect of the installation of the apparatus (although these do not have to be complied with to the extent they are unreasonable in all the circumstances). In addition, there is a Code of Practice (The Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016) in place relating to the siting of cabinet and pole installations. This was developed in 2016 by the Government, in collaboration with two major fixed-line operators and other interested parties. It provides guidance on ways operators can ensure these installations are placed appropriately, and that local authorities and communities are engaged with regarding proposed installations. For example, it sets out that where new poles are to be installed the operator should place a site notice to indicate to nearby residents the intention to install a pole, and the proposed location. We believe that communities benefit enormously from the deployment of high quality digital infrastructure, with all the economic and social benefits it brings. We want to make sure that deployment happens efficiently, but at the same time, in ways that make sure the impact on communities and the environment is taken into account and broad support is maintained for the rollout of this critical infrastructure.

Telecommunications: Aerials

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of the new telecom masts being built through the Shared Rural Network programme are planned to be used by more than one mobile network operator.

Julia Lopez: Masts built as part of the government funded part of the Shared Rural Network, which will deliver new 4G coverage in total not spot areas where there is currently none, will be available to be shared by all four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Initial plans developed in 2021 suggested that approximately 300 new masts would be needed. However, we now expect to need fewer masts than originally planned and work is ongoing to establish the exact number. The programme will also look to utilise existing infrastructure where possible and this includes upgrading some of the 292 Home Office Extended Area Service masts across England, Scotland and Wales making them shareable between all four MNOs for the programme. We are unable to provide the precise number of new or upgraded masts that may be delivered as part of the privately funded element of the Shared Rural Network, which will tackle partial not spot areas of the UK which have coverage from at least one but not all four MNOs.

Voice over Internet Protocol: Telemedicine

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the compatibility of telecare products with digital landlines.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her Department's policy is on the funding arrangements for new telecare devices for people who have telecare devices that are not compatible with new digital landlines.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department is taking steps to monitor the migration of telecare users from the public switched telephone network to digital phone lines.

Julia Lopez: The Government expects the telecoms industry to ensure that all consumers, particularly the most vulnerable including telecare users, are protected and prepared for the upgrade of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). DSIT receives regular updates from telecoms providers about the progress of their migration and any emerging challenges they face, including regarding the migration of telecare users. On 14 December, DSIT Ministers convened the UK’s leading telecoms providers to discuss steps to protect the most vulnerable when upgrading their phone lines. These telecoms providers have now signed a Charter committing to concrete measures to protect vulnerable customers, including specific provisions on protecting telecare users. This is a positive step by industry to make sure safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover. With regard to telecare systems, lifeline alarm systems or remote ringers, it can be difficult to provide general guidance given the range of devices and providers across these sectors. I therefore cannot state definitively which products will not function over digital landlines, and which will need modifications. Similarly, given there are a multitude of devices and services that rely on the digital connectivity and various ways they may be connected, Government does not have a definitive estimate regarding the cost of the switchover. We encourage those with equipment that rely on the PSTN, such as businesses or local authorities, to audit their estate and understand if they need to upgrade their devices. DSIT has been working with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the telecare industry to raise awareness of the migration and to help identify alternatives, while BT and other providers have set up test labs for manufacturers to test their equipment.

5G: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data her Department holds on the number of 5G mobile signal towers that have been constructed in Solihull constituency.

Julia Lopez: The Government published the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy in April 2023, which set out the steps we will take to ensure that all parts of the UK have the wireless connectivity they need to unlock opportunities for growth and prosperity. This included setting out our new nationwide ambition to deliver high-quality, standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030. Information relating to the number and location of mast sites is not held by the Government. However, under planning regulations, local authorities must grant permission for the installation of new masts; some local authorities may keep a register of mast sites.

Broadband: Voucher Schemes

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many gigabit broadband scheme vouchers have been (a) applied for and (b) granted as part of phase two of that scheme.

Julia Lopez: Overall, under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous iterations, over 108,000 vouchers have been used to connect rural premises to a gigabit-capable connection. Phase two of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was implemented on 5 December 2022. As part of this phase, we increased the maximum voucher value available for homes and businesses to £4,500. Since December 2022, Building Digital UK (BDUK) has received applications for over 12,800 vouchers, of which over 12,000 have been approved and issued to date.

Voice over Internet Protocol

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cessation in the rollout of digital landline switchovers on consumers.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of broadband (a) signal strength and (b) speed on the rollout of digital landlines in rural areas.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the digital landline rollout, what discussions she has had with industry stakeholders on (a) assessing whether and (b) ensuring that residents have access to enough mobile signal to rely on a mobile phone in instances of power cuts.

Julia Lopez: The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a privately-owned telecommunications network. The migration is industry-led and does not result from any government decision or form part of any government programme. Ofcom is responsible for ensuring telecoms providers adhere to their regulatory obligations throughout the migration process, such as ensuring uninterrupted access to the emergency services and protecting vulnerable consumers. Ofcom has published guidance which states that providers must take steps to identify and protect at-risk consumers who are dependent on their landline. On 14 December, the Secretary of State for DSIT, Michelle Donelan, convened a meeting with the UK’s leading telecoms providers, including Sky, BT, VMO2 and TalkTalk, to discuss urgent steps to protect vulnerable households when upgrading phone lines to a digital network. In response, the major telecoms providers have now signed a Charter committing to concrete measures to protect vulnerable households. Communications Providers have agreed to pause forced migrations unless all possible steps are taken to protect vulnerable consumers, this is a positive step to ensure safety remains at the heart of this migration. In order to function correctly, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) requires a minimum stable connection speed of just 0.5Mbps. These speeds are available to more than 99.8% of premises – the remainder can usually request a connection through the Broadband Universal Service Obligation. Current landline-only customers can order a VoIP landline without purchasing a general internet connection. For consumers in rural areas who are landline-dependent due to limited mobile coverage, it is the responsibility of Communications Providers to ensure their customers have access to telephony services. The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April 2023, set out the steps we will take to ensure that all parts of the UK have the wireless connectivity they need to unlock opportunities for growth and prosperity. The Strategy sets out a policy framework to encourage mobile network operators to continue investing in 4G and 5G networks. It emphasises our commitment to extending 4G coverage to 95% of the UK’s landmass through the Shared Rural Network and sets out a 10-point plan to support rural connectivity. Alongside the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, we also asked Ofcom to improve the accuracy of its reporting of mobile network coverage. The resilience of the UK’s fixed and mobile telecoms networks is of paramount importance. The Secretary of State asked Ofcom to review the general resilience of telecommunications services in the event of prolonged power outages. In response, in December 2023, Ofcom launched a consultation on the resilience of the sector that includes a separate call for input on power backup for mobile radio access networks. We await the outcome of the consultation. For consumers who are landline-dependent, Ofcom has placed the obligation on Communications Providers to provide at least one solution that enables access to emergency organisations for a minimum of one hour in the event of a power outage in the premises. This solution should be suitable for customers’ needs and should be offered free of charge to those who are at risk, including consumers who have no mobile signal. Communications Providers have also pledged to this commitment in DSIT’s Industry Charter.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government expects the first modular nuclear reactor to operate in the UK; and what stages must be passed through to achieve that.

Andrew Bowie: In 2023 Great British Nuclear launched a technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors, with the aim of identifying those technologies best able to facilitate a project Final Investment Decision by the end of the next Parliament and operational projects in the mid-2030s, potentially releasing billions of pounds of private and public investment.In October 2023 six technology vendors were down-selected and announced.The next stage of the competitive selection process will be launched within weeks. The ambition is to announce in 2024 which of the six companies the Government will support.

Wind Power: Bradwell-on-Sea

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will direct National Grid to publish its assessment of the suitability of Bradwell as a site for landfall and converter stations of offshore wind and interconnectors.

Graham Stuart: Given the quasi-judicial role of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Secretary of State as the ultimate decision maker on nationally significant infrastructure, I cannot comment directly on specific projects. National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) have assessed Bradwell as part of its considerations and found it unsuitable as a landfall or converter site for a number of reasons. NGET published its assessment of the site’s suitability as part of the latest pre-consultation material for the Norwich to Tilbury project.

National Grid: Stockport

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of National Grid capacity issues on Stockport constituency.

Graham Stuart: Upgrading electricity network capacity is a matter for the private network companies which build, own, and operate the network. The regulator, Ofgem, uses a price control framework to set the level of infrastructure investment for each network company to ensure sufficient capacity is available. Government is accelerating the delivery of higher voltage electricity infrastructure and improving the connections process so that projects can access the network more quickly through the Transmission Acceleration Action Plan and Connections Action Plan respectively, published in November 2023.

Offshore Industry: North Sea

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on seafarer jobs supported by the North Sea (a) oil and gas decommissioning and (b) offshore wind sectors; and if she will make an estimate of the number of such jobs supported by those sectors in each year to 2030.

Graham Stuart: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State discusses a range of issues with my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, including offshore wind, and oil and gas. The North Sea Transition Deal will support the transition of existing parts of the oil and gas workforce to ensure that people and skills are transferrable across the wider energy sector. The Offshore Wind Industry Council estimate in their Skills Intelligence Report, published June 2023, that the offshore wind sector is expected to grow to support over 100,000 jobs by 2030.

Energy Supply

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to ensure that access to the electricity grid through Distribution Network Operators is consistent.

Graham Stuart: As set out in the Connections Action Plan published in November 2023, Government and Ofgem are working with Distribution Network Operators to ensure consistency and standardisation across distribution networks. This includes a review by Ofgem of the incentives, obligations and requirements that apply to the electricity network connection process, and work to standardise the approach to connections.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Bullying and Harassment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many settlement payments her Department issued following claims of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero did not exist as a separate Department for the time period between 2019-20 and 2022-23 so does not hold separate records for this period.

Fuels: Prices

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require fuel retailers to publish price information.

Amanda Solloway: The Government will launch a consultation on the requirement for fuel retailers to provide up to date retail fuel price information shortly. Part 3 of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will extend the Government’s ability to establish and mandate participation in smart data schemes via regulations. Following conclusion of the consultation process and Royal Assent of the Bill, the Government will lay regulations using the smart data powers to set up the statutory open data scheme for road fuel prices.

Energy: Social Tariffs

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing social energy tariffs in the context of trends in the level of energy costs.

Amanda Solloway: Energy prices have fallen significantly since last winter, and the 2024 Q1 price cap of £1,928 has more than halved compared to the previous year when the 2023 Q1 price cap peaked at £4,279. The Government is continuing to support those most in need with millions of households receiving up to £900 in further cost-of-living payments. This is in addition to established support available for vulnerable and low-income through the Winter Fuel Payment, which provided between £250 - £600, and the Warm Homes Discount delivering £150. We are continuing to monitor the situation and keeping options under review.

Leader of the House

Ministers: Members' Interests

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Leader of the House, with reference to her oral contributions of 12 December 2022, Official Report column 823, and 30 March 2023, Official Report column 1168, when she plans that the the ministerial registration of interests, hospitality, gifts and so forth will be put on the same footing as Parliament’s.

Penny Mordaunt: In July 2023, the Cabinet Office published its response to three reports on strengthening ethics and integrity in central government. This states: “The Government will be implementing comprehensive reforms to improve the quality and accessibility of departments' transparency returns, which cover meetings, gifts, hospitality and travel.”“The Cabinet Office is developing a single platform to collate and publish departments' transparency returns. This will provide a single public source of transparency data, replacing the system of separate publications. Following the deployment and adoption of an integrated database, the Government will look to move departments' transparency publications from a quarterly to a monthly basis.” The full response is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strengthening-ethics-and-integrity-in-central-governmentMy office is already collating monthly returns and we are working with the Cabinet Office in order to publish these ahead of the new system being rolled out across Government.Separately, and in line with the Ministerial Code, the List of Ministers’ Interests is published twice yearly with updates issued at other times as needed.

Northern Ireland Office

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Northern Ireland Administration on the right to protest against new abortion clinics.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The legislation in relation to Safe Access Zones at health service locations is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. Policing and Justice are also devolved matters in Northern Ireland. The PSNI are operationally independent and the responsible oversight bodies are the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice.

Attorney General

Offences against Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of the impact of the unduly lenient sentencing scheme on levels of paedophile crime.

Robert Courts: The Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme in England and Wales permits the Court of Appeal to review a sentence, correct a sentencing error, and give guidance on how to approach some of the most serious and complex sentencing exercises.The Court of Appeal will only grant permission to refer a sentence in exceptional circumstances: for example, if the judge has passed a sentence that falls outside the range of sentences which a judge, applying their mind to all the relevant factors before them, could properly consider appropriate, or if the judge has made some gross error in law.The scheme is kept under constant review. In November 2019, 14 new offences were added to the scheme. These included offences relating to indecent images of children.In 2022, the Law Officers referred 139 cases to the Court of Appeal. The Court granted leave to refer in 105 (75%) cases and the sentence was increased in 95 (68%) cases. Of the 95 cases in which the sentence was increased, 23 (24%) were sentences for child sex offences.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many employees were in his Department in each year since 1997; what the budget was for his Department in the same period; and how much his Department spent on communications in the same period.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General publish an annual report and accounts which contains the information requested. The latest version can be found at Scotland Office Annual Report 2022-23. Prior year annual reports of The Scotland Office and Office for the Advocate General are available online or can be obtained from the Library of the House.